


UltraViolet

by Violetin53



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Angst, Anxiety, Blood and Violence, Depression, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Kidnapping, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-04-19 16:31:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 24,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14241330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violetin53/pseuds/Violetin53
Summary: Detectives Shuichi Saihara and Kaito Momota have been solving cases together for a while now. When their new partner arrives, their situation becomes more and more strange.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fic I'm posting, I hope you guys enjoy it! I'm having fun writing it so far. Constructive criticism is welcome!

“So, we sure this is the guy?”

Shuichi Saihara glanced over at his investigation partner of over a year, Kaito Momota. They were parked a street away from the house of a person who was suspected of kidnapping a 17-year-old girl after stalking her for two years. Momota was gripping the steering wheel and watching the suspect enter his house. His jaw was clenched, he seemed tense. Honestly, it didn’t instil a huge amount of confidence in Saihara. Momota usually didn’t get too nervous.

“Yeah… when should we go in?” Saihara asked, making sure to keep his voice down. He didn’t want to raise suspic—

“I think Momota-chan should go in there all by himself, since he’s so tough and all!” Oh, yeah. He forgot about his new partner for this case. Kokichi Ouma.

The loud boy peeked his head through their seats from the backseat and giggled. He smirked up at Momota, who glared back at him. “Riiight? Aren’t you the kind of guy who steals all the glory? I hear people talking about you all the time back at the office.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?! No one talks about me at the office! They all love me back there.” Momota narrowed his eyes as he shouted in Ouma’s face, their plan to keep quiet completely forgotten. “Besides, it’d be stupid to just rush in there right now…”

“Exactly! That would suit you perfectly! Right, Saihara-chan?” Ouma gave a toothy grin towards Saihara, who sighed and watched as the suspect’s front door closed.

“Um… I think it would be best if we went in as soon as possible. It could be dangerous if he suspects something and acquires a weapon.” His voice was wobbly. He threaded his fingers through his navy-blue hair as he spoke, anxiety creeping up on him as he imagined the worst-case scenario. They could get seriously hurt if they went in there unprepared…

“Wow, Saihara-chan always has the best suggestions! This is what a real detective is like. Take notes, Momota-chan.” Ouma patted Momota on the shoulder before he moved towards the doors of the car, his childlike smile never wavering even as he was about to enter a possible crime scene.

“What do you mean always? You’ve been with us for like two days.” Momota grumbled in his deep voice. He tightened his tie and got out of the car, disgruntled look on his face.

When all three men were out of the car, they walked to the suspect’s front door. Momota lead them, usually being the first to take action. Saihara watched as Ouma skipped along with them, seemingly unfazed by the situation. The shy detective wondered if it was a mask. He couldn’t help but find Ouma interesting, he seemed so very different to himself and Momota. Ever since he met Momota over a year ago, the man had always worn his heart on his sleeve. It was nerve-wracking to think that he would have to try and figure out what someone like Ouma really meant when he spoke.

When they were assigned their current case, Hoshi said that Ouma would be their new partner from now on. Saihara had heard about him from his colleagues, apparently that cute face and tiny stature was misleading. He was terrible to work with.

“Look, I know he has a bad rap, but the kid is smart. Miles ahead of everyone else he’s worked with.” Hoshi had stated earlier that week. “He’s a condescending little shit, but I know you have patience, Saihara. Give him a chance.”

“No worries, Hoshi! I’ll get that brat to cooperate with us!” Momota had given a thumbs up and a confident grin. Oh, how wrong he was.

When they actually met Ouma, he had brushed off any attempts at friendship completely. He tilted his head and asked, “So, which one of you is the looks and which one is the brains of this whole… thing?” He lazily motioned towards Saihara and Momota with a bored expression on his face. Like he’d figured them both out already.

“W-well… Um, I’m not sure wha—”

“I’m the looks and the brains! Obviously!” Momota interjected proudly. Saihara was taken aback slightly. That was kind of mean… Momota could be insensitive sometimes.

“So, you’re gonna throw your partner under the bus like that? Wow!” Ouma widened his violet eyes and gasped dramatically. Saihara thought it made him look cuter. This was not the time to think that.

“Why… would you say that, Momota-kun?” He had to be honest, it hurt to hear Momota say something like that.

“I-I dunno! I didn’t think… Obviously you’re just as great, Shuichi, you’re my sidekick!” Momota threw his arm around Saihara’s shoulder and squeezed him apologetically.

“Y-yeah… it’s okay…”

Ouma giggled as he watched the two of them. “Already trouble in paradise, huh? You two might not last much longer as partners!” He got up and turned to leave the room, “by the way, I lied about that. None of you two are the looks or the brains, that’s my role as your new leader! I hope you enjoy working under me from now on!” As Momota yelled after him, he sprinted out of the room with the energy of a child.

Saihara didn’t know he’d be this exhausted by the second day with Ouma. He was so much to handle, constantly talking and interrupting him and Momota. Not to mention the insensitive jabs about the case. He seemed to get a kick out of riling Momota up. Not only that, but he claimed he hadn’t looked through the case files yet knew the details to an astonishing degree, like he had done far more research than them. He was definitely going to be difficult to figure out and get along with. He doubted himself, but he trusted Momota to help see him through it. After all, he had helped him with so much already. Momota was truly an amazing guy… Ah, there he goes again, thinking those things about Momota…

Instead he tried to focus on the cold air brushing his face. There was a slight breeze, and in the dark of the night he barely could make out any details of the street. It concerned him. Maybe someone was waiting for them around the house, ready to ambush them. After all, there was a very large chance that the girl they were looking for was tied up in the house somewhere, alive… or not. Saihara didn’t feel confident that he could fight or defend himself. He was physically weak, and now it was too late to go back to the car. Thoughts raced through his mind, and he was quickly losing control of his breathing. The more he tried to control it, the worse it got. His heart was racing. The breathing was become louder and louder. What if he couldn’t protect them? What if he lost Momota… What if—

“Hey, Shuichi? You okay?” Momota stopped in his tracks and stared at Saihara’s pale face. He was hit with the realisation of what Saihara was going through as he approached him. “Just breathe man… it’s okay, you’re safe.” He put his hands on Saihara’s shoulders and smiled down at him. “Just take deep breaths, you’re okay. Look at me man, you can breathe.”

Saihara’s brow creased as he looked into Momota’s eyes. They were full of confidence. Confidence that made him feel safe and protected. In that moment, all he saw was Momota. He took shaky breaths as he tried to calm down, tried to remember that he wasn’t going to die. He had to focus on this case, he couldn’t lose to his thoughts. He sniffled quietly, then he felt Momota’s strong hands stroke up and down his arms soothingly, and as much as it excited him, it also grounded him. He was going to be okay. He was breathing easier.

“Y-you’re right… I’m sorry…” He whispered as he continued to look into Momota’s eyes, wishing for the confidence that Momota had. “I… can do this…” The detective’s hands were shaking, he was still scared, but at least he felt somewhat in control.

“Don’t apologise. Just let me take care of everything, okay bro?”

“Okay…” Momota always did this. Always took the pressure off of Saihara, and Saihara was forever grateful to him.

Ouma’s voice broke him out of the spell. “Can we hurry this up? I’m so bored of waiting for you guys!” The short man ran to the door and began knocking continuously. “Helloooo? Anyone in there?” He singsonged. “You guys should come stand here, what if he sees me alone, mistakes me for a kid and kidnaps me too?!”

Momota let go of Saihara and groaned. “You’re not cute enough to be mistaken for a kid… and what kind of kid wears a suit?”

“Haven’t you seen Boss Baby? That kid wears a suit.”

“That’s just a movie, idiot.”

“Nuh-uh! It’s based on a true stor—”

The door opened. The suspect stood there, observing them with caution. He was a large man in his late 30s, balding with a chubby face. He looked terrified as his eyes darted between the three of them.

Saihara cleared his throat. “U-um… Koichi Mori?”

The man was visibly shaking. “…Yes…”

Ouma beamed at the man. “Do you have a moment to talk about our lord and saviour, Jesus Christ?”


	2. Chapter 2

Mori’s eyes widened. “Jesus… Christ?”

Momota pushed Ouma out of the doorway and sighed. “We’re here to ask you some questions about a kidnapping. We’re with the police.”

“O-oh… come in…” Mori shifted to the side and let the three men in. As soon as they stepped inside, they were hit with the musty scent of aged furniture. “Gross…” Ouma muttered to himself. Saihara glanced around the house, which was decorated in an old-fashioned way. That was odd, he thought. The house was fairly new yet the décor was something out of the 1970s. And the house was extremely dusty, not a healthy place to stay in at all. As they entered the living room, Saihara noticed the vast amount of empty picture frames which lined an unused fireplace. Why were there so many picture frames if they were all empty? And why did they seem to be the only things that weren’t covered in dust? Even the television didn’t seem to be used for a while.

As he turned to look at the others, he saw Momota making small talk with Mori. Ouma was beginning to wander off when Momota grabbed his sleeve. “Hey, where do you think you’re going? We gotta talk to this guy.”

Ouma yanked his arm away from Momota’s grasp and gave him an exasperated stare, his mouth pressed into a thin line. “Why should I tell you? I do what I want, Momota-chan. I just wanna look around for a bit, that’s all.” His carefree smile came back as he entered the kitchen. “Hey Mori-chan, do you have any juice? I wanna make myself super comfortable!”

“Uh… I have—”

“Just ignore him, Mori. We need to ask you some questions.” Momota deepened his voice in an attempt to appear more intimidating.

Saihara and Momota sat on the couch, across from Mori who was sat up straight in his armchair. He clutched the arms nervously, his nails dragging along the worn leather. The display reminded Saihara of his feelings from earlier. But he had to stay focused. He had to find out what happened to Yuki Shirokawa. The quiet boy pulled out his notebook and began to write down the suspect’s name.

“…Do you know a Yuki Shirokawa?” Saihara decided he should just get straight to it. He could hear Ouma rummaging around the kitchen next door. He shouldn’t be doing that. He wondered if Mori knew he shouldn’t be doing that. 

“N-no… I don’t know who that is. I live alone... and I don’t get to meet many people. I’m home a lot.” Mori stuttered as he answered. Sweat was dripping down from his forehead. He couldn’t look any more suspicious if he tried.

It was obvious he was lying. If he was home so often, why had nothing been used in a while? However, Saihara had no idea what to do. If he called him out for lying, he could just deny it. There was no point going back and forth with Mori.

“Do… you know what she looks like? M-maybe I have seen her around…” 

They heard a voice from the doorway to the kitchen. “Mori-chaaan! Who’s this girl? Your daughter or something? There are sooo many photos of her!”

Mori’s eyes darted towards the photos Ouma was holding and he gasped. The pictures were of Shirokawa in a different place each time. On the train, walking down the street, and… photographs of her in her bedroom, in her classroom? How did he get a hold of pictures that personal? Saihara knew the man was unemployed, so it wasn’t as if he even worked in her school or near her home. He didn’t understand why Ouma would even ask if that was his daughter when it was so obvious that it was not. “How… did you find those?”

“Huh? False bottoms drawers are such a cliché. Obviously, a creep like you would have one!”

“Well… that is my daughter, you’re right. Isn’t she beautiful?” Mori was still trying to keep his cool, Saihara noted. Unfortunately, it wasn’t working out for him. He just ended up shaking more and more.

“Ohhhh. I see, I see. This is your daughter! Welp, I guess it’s nothing to worry about then!” Ouma giggled and gave a sickly-sweet smile to Mori.

Momota stood up abruptly and yelled. “Ouma! He’s obviously ly—”

In an instant, Ouma’s face shifted from a cutesy smile to a knowing smirk. “Lying? Yeah, I know. You just said you live alone, riiiight Mori-chan?” He narrowed his eyes and stalked towards the frightened man.

“Taking all your pictures out of their frames and hiding them in your drawer… why would you do something like that, Mori? Because you killed a girl and you’re not ready to face the consequences of your actions?” The short man’s light-hearted tone conflicted with the subject matter so greatly that it made Saihara nervous. Killed? Why would Ouma assume that he killed her…

“Listen, we already have enough evidence to put you away for a long time. It’s obvious that you’re the only one who could have killed her, so why don’t you just confess already?” Ouma lied. “Are you not prepared to face punishment for snuffing out a high school girl? Then why even bother, you know that’s the most exciting part! Running from the cops… The inevitable failure...” Ouma’s voice grew deeper and more hushed as he gripped onto the arms of the armchair and stared directly into Mori’s eyes. His grin never wavered, it only became more unsettling. Even with his small stature, he was intimidating. “Was it worth hearing her scream? Seeing her blood splatter everywhere? Hey… does that kind of thing get you off?”

“H-hey man, you’re acting kind of weird…” Momota moved to stand behind Ouma, bracing himself for any kind of physical confrontation. Mori had a history of violence and was known to be emotionally unstable. As much as he didn’t like Ouma, he had to protect him from getting hurt. Then, Mori spoke.

“She’s downstairs, in the basement. She isn’t dead!” He spat out frantically. He was seething. He looked at Ouma with all the hatred he could muster. “Don’t lie to my face! If someone’s dead, it has nothing to do with me!”

“Thank you! Let’s get going, Saihara-chan! Momota-chan, keep an eye on this weirdo.” Ouma let out a satisfied sigh, getting rid of his scary face and headed for the stairs that lead to the basement.

“Wait! I wanna go too!” Momota whined.

“It’s fine, Momota-kun, I’ll go. Please just call the police and make sure he doesn’t run away…” Saihara followed after Ouma in a hurry.

“Creeps like him are super easy to scare into confessing. Total pussies.” Ouma sounded smug as he skipped down the stairs.

When they reached the basement, Saihara halted abruptly.

The basement was cold and damp, an oppressive atmosphere overtook their senses as they stared into the darkness surrounding them. There was a small, dim lightbulb attached to the ceiling that gave them enough light to make out the person they were looking for. Sitting on the floor wearing nothing but a nightgown was Yuki Shirokawa. Her arms were chained to the wall of the basement, and she was gagged with a filthy rag tied around her head. Her blonde hair and silk nightgown were both dirty, she must have been left like that ever since she was kidnapped. Beside her was a dog bowl with half eaten dry cereal inside of it, and next to that, an old bucket that seemed to be used as a makeshift toilet. She let out muffled screams when she saw them both, her eyes wide and terrified.

The two boys rushed to her side and began to help unchain her using the nearby key that was hooked onto the wall. Saihara took the gag out of her mouth.

“Please help me! Please just get me out of here! I’m begging you!” she sobbed desperately, her lips quivered and as she tried to stand, her legs gave out.

“I-it’s okay, Shirokawa-san… we have you now… we’re the detectives that are looking into your case… I’m Shuichi Saihara, this is my partner, Kokichi Ouma.”

Shirokawa leaned on them both as they helped her stand. “I… just want to go home, I just want to see my grandma… I told the police about this man and they did fucking nothing. I don’t want to help you prosecute him.”

“T-that’s fine, we don’t do that… we just came to find you, you’re safe now, you’ll be able to go home.” Saihara helped her walk up the stairs along with Ouma.

“Jeez… talk about ungrateful. Maybe we should have left her down there, Saihara-chan!” Ouma snickered.

“That’s… going too far, Ouma-kun…” Saihara tried to push down his annoyance with Ouma for the moment. “Are you okay physically, did he hurt you at all?”

Shirokawa shook her head. “No… he just kept me down there. He even fed me.” Her voice was deadpan. Her eyes looked devoid of life, like the entire experience had completely destroyed her soul. Saihara had no idea how she could ever feel safe again after the incident. He felt sorry for Shirokawa. She tried to report Mori to the police for stalking behaviour previously, however they had said that they couldn’t do anything to him until his behaviour had crossed a certain boundary. Well, this certainly crossed that boundary. It never had to get to this point, if only they had listened to her…

When they arrived upstairs, the police already had Mori in handcuffs. Momota looked annoyed but brightened up when he saw Shirokawa alive and somewhat well. “Nice work guys! I knew she’d be alright!”

“I’m not fucking alright.” Shirokawa mumbled. She let go of Saihara and Ouma and walked over to the police officers. “Just take me home.” She was escorted outside by the police, and the three detectives followed.

“Alright! Great work Shuichi! And… Ouma, you did a good job too.” Momota patted Saihara on the back and nodded towards Ouma.

Ouma giggled and moved close to Momota. He elbowed Momota’s side. “Do I get a kiss for doing so good? That’s what you do for Saihara-chan, right?”

“What?! Fuck off, that never happens! Where’s your head at, man?!” Momota barked at Ouma, glaring down at the short boy. He took his hand off of Saihara’s back. “Besides, you put yourself in danger for like, no reason… don’t be stupid just to show off.”

Ouma tilted his head slightly. “Show off? What, you think I’m trying to impress you, Momota-chan? I just like playing on mean difficulty. That’s why you gotta confront the suspect so they go all crazy!”

“Playing what? This isn’t a game you know! These are people’s lives!” 

Saihara was tired of today. After everything, he just wanted to go home. He sighed and tapped Momota on the shoulder. “Let’s just go home… it’s over now.” As Shirokawa left with the police, he couldn’t get her face out of his head. Those lifeless eyes… is her life ruined now? Because the police didn’t act fast enough? Will she ever recover, or will she have nightmares for the rest of her life? She only had her grandmother to protect her, after all. He only hoped the police would make sure she got the appropriate help. Saihara got in the car, feeling defeated even though they had managed to save her. It also worried him how Mori was able to get his hands on those private photographs… surely, he couldn’t have taken them himself. He chewed on his bottom lip as he stared out of the window, lost in thought.

Eventually, he stopped thinking about it. His train of thought was going nowhere, he was too exhausted.

“Hey, Shuichi. Wanna come over to my place for a drink? We could watch a movie or something…” Momota spoke as he drove, the motion of the car almost lulling Saihara to sleep. He could hear the gentle patter of the rain falling onto the roof of the car. It was soothing.

“No, thank you… I think I just want to go home tonight.”

“You’ve annoyed him so much today, Momo-chan. He isn’t interested in a booty call, okay?” Momota could see Ouma’s smirk through the rear-view mirror.

“Who the shit is Momo-chan?!”

“You don’t like it? Aw… Momo-chan is so mean!” His eyes watered with crocodile tears.

“I hope you don’t think your ass is getting dropped off home. You can get out of my car any time now.” Momota huffed.

Ouma got dropped off home.


	3. Chapter 3

Ouma blew a kiss to Momota when he left the car. Momota spluttered and flipped him off as he drove away. Okay, that was pretty funny… for Momota. The purple haired boy sighed as he entered the elevator to get to this apartment floor. Today was a long day, he was glad to be able to relax for a little while. 

As soon as he entered the apartment, he saw Amami laid out on the couch, reading one of those travel brochures he always had on him. He turned to look at Ouma and gave him a lazy smile.

“Helloooo, Amami-chan! You missed me?” Ouma tossed his shoes into the corner and stripped himself of his suit jacket. He grabbed a bottle of Panta from the fridge and walked over to the couch, motioning for Amami to move over.

“’Course I did. You have a good day?” Amami sat up to make room for Ouma. When he sat down, the green haired boy shot Ouma a stern look. “Listen, no filling up on sweets tonight, I made curry earlier and I saved you some… you gotta make sure you eat some real food.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it.” The shorter boy rolled his eyes and rested his head on Amami’s shoulder. “We caught that kidnapper guy today… Well, by caught I mean I had to shoot his head off, but you get what I mean.”

Amami chuckled and started to play with Ouma’s dark locks, twirling them gently. “Is that right? Yeah, I totally believe that…”

“Whaaat? I totally killed him. Hmph, meanie. I never tell lies.” Ouma pouted.

“Haha… sorry for being mean.” Amami turned the TV on. “You wanna watch a movie later? I’ll heat the food up for you while you shower.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that now then.” Ouma jumped up from the couch and went to get undressed in his room. He always found it ridiculous how big and grand the rooms in their apartment were, but since Amami was practically made of money, it made sense. He had to flaunt it somehow. But like… chandeliers in an apartment? Seriously? At least Ouma didn’t feel so guilty now that he was able to actually contribute to rent, even if it wasn’t by much.

When they’d met in college, Amami was kind enough to let him stay at his place. After losing the friends he’d lived with before, Amami was there for him when he had no money and no place to stay. He owed his life to his best friend. He didn’t really want to think about that though, in case he repeated that one time he got too sappy after a little too much booze and cried to Amami all night about how much he loved him. Yeah… that was embarrassing. Fortunately, he was able to cover it up as a prank the next morning. Amami went along with it, although Ouma wasn’t sure if he actually believed him.

That’s why he liked Amami so much, he never tried to delve too deep or question him. He knew his place. He knew Ouma’s boundaries.

As he stepped into the beautifully decorated bathroom, he placed his towel on the rack. After turning the water to an acceptable heat (practically scalding), he got into the shower. His mind wandered to this and that, then he started to think about his partners at work.

Ouma often had trouble keeping partners, he would be worried he’d get fired if he wasn’t so good at what he did. It wasn’t his fault that no one else could keep up with him, he knew he had an odd way of looking at things, but these people are meant to be intelligent. They’re detectives for Christ’s sake. But he knew that he had to keep that job… it was the most important thing to him right now. His only chance to find out the truth.

Momota and Saihara were… alright, he guessed. He had known so many guys like Momota, hypermasculine and brainless. He was the type of guy that was never wrong, and you couldn’t change his ideals no matter what. It was painfully obvious that he hid behind that mask of confidence because really, he was seriously insecure. There would be no other reason to try and give Saihara a pep talk at every opportunity. Anything to make himself look like the hero. How boring.

Saihara was a little more interesting, he supposed. Although he was quiet, he seemed to be pretty intelligent. He also seemed genuinely interested in getting to know Ouma, which was… weird. Not many people had tried to do that. It made him feel violated, like every glance from Saihara was him trying to figure Ouma out. That only made him want to close himself off more. It was suspicious to want to do that after all, when Ouma tried his best to keep people far away from him. What would he have to gain by getting to know Ouma?

Better to not worry about it for now. It was time to sing obnoxiously loud in the shower.  
\------  
As the door to the apartment opened, Saihara was greeted to a beautiful melody being played on the piano. He smiled at his roommate, Kaede Akamatsu. Her presence was always calming to Saihara, much like the songs she played that soothed his heart. That feeling had never left, even after knowing her since they were little. She smiled back at him as she finished the song.

“Good evening, Akamatsu-san…”  
“Hi, Saihara-kun! Great timing, I just finished practicing for today.” She welcomed Saihara with her upbeat voice.

“Um… were you just going to play all night if I had come back earlier?” He said.

“No, but I’m glad I got to get this much work done while you were gone! Now I don’t have to bother you with this.” She stood up and gave Saihara a tight hug. “Get yourself comfortable, Sherlock Holmes! You hungry?”

“I am kind of hungry… You don’t have to call me that all the time… or at all, really…”

“Haha, sorry. I’m just so proud of you! You’re finally a real detective!” Akamatsu giggled.

Saihara looked down at the floor as he frowned. “I guess, I don’t really feel like one though.” He gave a hopeful look to Akamatsu, “Did any letters come…?”

Akamatsu shuffled awkwardly. “From your uncle? No… We got some junk stuff but that’s it really.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah…”

Saihara wondered when his uncle would ever get in touch with him. It had been years since he left to work in the US as a detective, and Saihara was worried about him. His uncle had inspired him to become a detective. He remembers spending his evenings watching his uncle attempt to piece together clues from a crime scene or take notes on a strange occurrence that happened during the day. He was the only family he had ever since he came out as bisexual when he was a teenager. His own parents didn’t approve of his sexuality, and while they didn’t disown him, they ignored his existence. Sure, he could stay in the house, but why would he want to when no one acknowledged him? Although he had access to food and shelter, it was the cold, unwelcoming environment that wore him down emotionally. He had felt so unloved and uncomfortable in that situation, and his uncle had offered him a room at his place. 

Saihara’s uncle was an understanding man. He was able to talk to his him about everything and was even able to start going to therapy to help with his depression and his anxiety attacks. His mental health was improving until the day his uncle had left. Now it seemed like every day, it got worse. The fear of being abandoned by his uncle loomed over his head like a dark storm cloud, and every day he hadn’t heard anything just magnified that fear. His anxiety attacks started coming back, and it was harder and harder for him to fall asleep at night. Moving in with Akamatsu had been a blessing, as she was always supportive of Saihara and would listen to any problems he was having. Her along with Momota were the only things keeping Saihara afloat. Without them, he was worried he would become engulfed by his depression.

He sighed and headed to his bedroom. “I think I’m just going to try and get some sleep tonight, Akamatsu-san. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“Okay… let me know if you need anything, won’t you?” Akamatsu sounded worried. He hated making people worry about him. He wished he wasn’t so easy to read. Maybe he could learn something from Ouma.

“I will, goodnight.” He shut the door to his bedroom and dropped himself onto the bed. Although the day was hectic, he was thankful that he would be able to fall asleep fairly easily. He took out his phone and looked at the wallpaper. It was his favourite picture, a photo of him and Momota covered in piles of arcade tickets. This was after winning a huge jackpot of them after spending hours playing different games. They weren’t really able to get anything cool with them, but it was one of the happiest moments of his life. Looking at his and Momota’s carefree smiles as they made victory poses sent a warmth to his chest. He remembered Momota praising him for being a good sidekick and felt his cheeks flush. Momota looked so handsome in that moment, his bright smile enchanting Saihara. He figured it wouldn’t be too weird to text Momota and thank him for his help today.

His heart pounded as he tried to figure out what words to say. It really shouldn’t have been that big of a deal, they were basically best friends at this point. But still, Saihara didn’t want to mess this up…  
\------  
Momota locked his car and jogged up his drive. He had a pretty decently sized house, which he managed to buy after saving up from the ridiculous amount of part time jobs he had burdened himself with during high school and college. It made him feel proud that he was able to buy his own car and house at 22, even if he got a little help from his family. Once he got inside the house, he yawned loudly. Shit, today was long. He ruffled his hand through his hair, no longer caring if his hair stayed spiked up anymore. He opened the fridge and decided on a quick premade meal. Sure, it wasn’t the healthiest option, but he was tired and just wanted to sit down and watch some TV. Once he began to preheat the oven, he checked his phone. He scrolled through his regular social media sites, casually checking the latest news on space travel. He might not be able to go to space right now… but he couldn’t give up on that dream. He would get there one day.

While scrolling he came across a picture that his friend Amami posted. They had known each other in their days at college, Amami had been going to a different college studying Geography, but they often met up when their tennis teams challenged each other. There was a picture of him cuddling with Ouma on the couch, both of them looking sleepy. He had seen many pictures of them together for years now, but he never recognised him until he started seeing him around at work. The kid had a pretty unique look, he was so short and thin, honestly Momota wondered if he ate a whole lot. He looked seriously underdeveloped to be in his twenties, maybe he could show Ouma how to build some muscle…

If he actually cared. Just imagining how Ouma would react to that proposal pissed him off, who the hell did he think he was? He always said the weirdest shit to Momota, it was annoying talking to him. He guessed if he was being super generous, he could be funny sometimes, but he got irritating real quick. Especially when he kissed Shuichi’s ass so often, all while only berating Momota. He wasn’t jealous or anything, he just didn’t get why the little shit didn’t like him. But he didn’t care anyway, so it was fine. Momota huffed and shoved his food into the oven.

His phone went off, the dim glow lighting up some of the darkened kitchen. He checked it and saw he had a text from Shuichi. “Thank you for being there for me today. Have a nice night.” Momota smiled to himself as he typed back a response. “Any time, man! You too!” He was proud of how far Shuichi had come. From hiding behind a hat and being unable to look people in the eyes to now interrogating suspects with little hesitation. Shuichi was a force to be reckoned with, now that he had his confidence. He could still work on it though, and Momota was going to help him do just that. Sure, he couldn’t exactly cure his depression or anxiety, but he could be there when things got tough, that’s what good friends did. Momota was a good friend. He wondered if Ouma needed a good friend like him. That guy clearly had issues he needed to talk out. Why was he thinking about Ouma again? He decided to drop it when his food was ready. He could figure that out later.


	4. Chapter 4

Momota tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. He told Ouma to be ready by ten yesterday. He said he would be. Why did he believe him?

He gave an annoyed sigh. He was about to get out of the car and drag his tiny ass here himself. That’s when he spotted him, walking leisurely out of the apartment building.

As soon as Ouma got in the passenger seat, Momota was ready to start ranting.

“What the fuck, man? It’s ten thirty! You said you’d be ready by ten!”

“Yeah, I lied. You’re really surprised at that?” Ouma gave that cutesy smile that made Momota want to punch him. God, he wished he could knock that smile off his face.

“Whatever… let’s get going.” He started the car again and headed for Shuichi’s place. Momota watched as Ouma sifted through his belongings. “Stop being a shit, get off of my stuff.”

“Ah-hah! Found the goodies.” Ouma giggled as he pulled out the bag of snacks Momota kept in his glovebox. He decided to steal a small packet of gummies. Momota wondered if he picked those because he knew they were his favourite.

“W-what the fuck?! Gimme back my snacks!”

“Eyes on the road, Momota-chan! You’re gonna get us killed over some candy!” The shorter boy cried dramatically. 

“I’ll kill you with my own two hands! That cutesy shit might work with Shuichi, but I can see right through you.” He gritted his teeth and focused on the road. Not because Ouma said to, but because _he_ didn’t want to die today.

“No one likes a brute, Momota-chan.” Ouma stated between mouthfuls of gummies. He was behaving like this was some kind of family road trip.

When they arrived at Shuichi’s place, Momota was glad to see he was already waiting outside for them. At least someone knew how to be on time…

“Why are you guys so late?” Shuichi sat in the backseat, his brows knitted together. Momota noted that he already seemed anxious. He wondered what was on his sidekick’s mind.

Ouma turned to face Shuichi, giving him a wide grin. “Well, Momota-chan got real mad, and you know how he is…”

“H-how he is…?”

“He tried to kill me, Saihara-chan…” His dark eyes began to water. 

“He’s lying, obviously. He stole my gummies like an asshole.” Momota sighed and scowled towards Ouma. “Stop saying shit like that, you’re gonna make him even more anxious.”

Ouma looked lost. “Huuuh? Why’s he even anxious in the first place?”

Shuichi looked down at his knees and wrung his hands together. It was obvious he didn’t want to have this discussion.

“My beloved Saihara-chan can open up to me! I’m a super good listener!”

“He doesn’t want to. Who would trust someone like you?” Momota grumbled. He was so tired of this kid already. He wished it was just him and Shuichi, so he could ask him what was on his mind. Shuichi’s worries were his worries, after all.

“We should… focus on the case today. I got a call from Hoshi earlier, and I wrote down all the details.” Shuichi opened his notebook and began to flip through the pages “Today we’re seeing a Himiko Yumeno about a missing pet…” He sighed.

Ouma whipped his head around to frown at Shuichi. “Are you serious, Saihara-chan? Lying is my thing, you know.”

“I’m not lying… we’re finding a missing pet today.” He held up his notebook to prove his statement.

“What… did you guys screw up super badly or something? Why do I have to look for a dog or whatever with you idiots?!” Ouma whined and continued to eat the sweets, glaring at the road as he shoved them into his mouth.

“Nah, we gotta help this girl out! That’s what detectives do, we help people solve mysteries, no matter how small! Isn’t that right, Shuichi?!” Momota exclaimed heroically. It was a shitty job, but it had to be done. He did wish it was something a bit more challenging though.

Shuichi gave a nervous smile. “Y-you’re right, Momota-kun… We need to help her. I’ll give you the address now.”

“Heh, that’s my sidekick!”

Ouma arched his eyebrow at their little pep talk. He side-eyed Momota and mumbled, “…Oh boy…”

Momota knew this mystery was gonna be a piece of cake.  
\------  
When they arrived at the house, Momota rang the doorbell. They then heard a small voice from inside. “Come in…”

As they all stepped inside, they spotted a young-looking girl with bright red hair sat on the couch. She was watching some TV drama by the looks of it. Ouma thought she dressed a little weird... what was with the witches’ hat and cloak? He figured it would be boring for everyone to look the same though.

She took her time standing up, then bowed gracefully. It looked a little clumsy with her tiny frame, but who was Ouma to talk? “Welcome… to my humble abode…” She elongated her words, as if she were chanting some kind of spell. Yumeno lifted her finger as she spoke, “Nyeh… my familiar seems to have disappeared, I think it’s ‘cuz I had her at my magic show and she got scared by the mysterious aura.”

“Ah… your familiar? You mean your pet, right? What kind of animal is she?” Saihara questioned. His worried face was replaced with one of determination. He was really into this detective thing.

“Well… she is a tiger with great magical abilities, it’s very dangerous for her to be out on her own like this… for everyone’s sake… please bring her to me.”

“…” The room was silent. Did this girl just say she had a pet tiger?

Yumeno pouted and gave a downward glance. “Um… her everyday form is an orange tabby.” Oh, that’s what she meant… Was this girl okay?

Momota flashed a grin. “Ohhh, so a cat! No problem, leave it to me and my sidekick!” He patted Yumeno on the back, maybe a little too forcefully.

Ouma tucked some of his hair behind his ear and looked concerned. “Actually… I don’t know if we can do that for you, Yumeno-chan…”

“Huh? The hell are you talkin’ about, Ouma?” Momota stared at him.

“It’s just… I don’t think Momota-chan is used to finding pussy… you might be out of luck…”

Saihara turned bright red as he put his hands up in front of him. “O-Ouma-kun! Please don’t use that kind of language in front of Yumeno-san!” He made such a cute face; the dumb joke was totally worth that adorable reaction.

“Yeah. It’s not even a funny joke.” Ouma thought he saw Momota pout slightly, before going back to his cocky grin. “So, you saw her last at your magic show, right? Then we just gotta check out the venue!” He clenched his fist. “Leave it to us!”

Yumeno smiled lazily at Momota, she actually believed his heroic bullshit, it seemed. “Nyeh...! I knew I could count on you guys…” She wrote down the venue’s address on a piece of paper and handed it to Saihara. “Hopefully she hasn’t entered into one of the portals I use to get around… that would be real sad.”

Ouma was already done with this whole conversation. “Yeah, totally. It would suck if she just got like, run over by a car or something. Even though it’s the most likely option.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “That’s impossible…”

Momota lead them out of the house. “Let’s go find this cat, guys!”  
\------  
The venue hall was huge. Saihara was concerned they wouldn’t be able to search the whole place in time to find this cat. They would need to split up. Momota was already checking out the supply closet.

“Ouma-kun… we can’t investigate together here. This place is far too large.” He watched as the shorter boy skipped along next to him, seemingly off in his own world. Until he halted.

“Yeah, I get what you’re saying. That’s a shame though, I thought I could have some alone time with Saihara-chan today.” He sighed. “I guess today is gonna turn out to be super boring.”

“Alone time… did you need something?”

“Well, it’s just that you’re always being talked over by Momota-chan, I can never actually have a conversation with you, even though you’re my favourite.”

Saihara blushed slightly. He wasn’t used to being praised like that, and it kind of felt nice coming from Ouma, someone who never seemed to have anything nice to say. He couldn’t help but want to hear more. “Your… favourite?”

“Mhm! Saihara-chan is super cute!” Ouma reached up and poked Saihara’s nose softly. “And you’re actually a good detective, unlike Momota-chan who’s all talk. I know I can rely on you to be useful.” The purple haired man smiled innocently. “… Or do I just hate you both?”

Saihara closed his eyes and sighed. He paused before looking at Ouma sternly, “I don’t like being lied to, Ouma-kun… If you really hate us, you shouldn’t act like you’re joking. We need to cooperate with each other. It’s tiring trying to figure out your partner…”

“Well, maybe I _want_ you to figure me out, detective.” Ouma grinned at him. His eyes glinted playfully. “You like mysteries, don’t you?”

The shorter boy was definitely a mystery, and he couldn’t help but be intrigued by him, but… was Ouma flirting with him? There’s no way… he was just messing with him. Either way, he had to focus on finding Yumeno’s cat so they could get back to more important cases.

“L-let’s find the cat for now… can you please check around the seating area?”

Ouma giggled and began walking away from Saihara. “Anything for my beloved Saihara-chan!” He waved as he left.

Saihara decided he would look backstage. He had some experience with looking for pets before, and they often found a way to get stuck in the strangest of places. There were a handful of people dotted around the backstage area, including a girl who gave him a piercing glare. Her eyes were blood red as they bore into him. It seemed like she was cautious of Saihara for some reason. He tried to ignore her, but he couldn’t help but begin to get nervous. He knew that sometimes detectives could be targets for violence, and while this girl didn’t look too dangerous, he didn’t want to take any chances…

The detective examined a number of props that Yumeno used in her magic shows. He kind of wished had more time to try and figure out how the magic tricks were done, but he had to save that for another time. He softly ran his fingers over a purple rectangular box that was draped in silk. He figured it was used for the trick where someone would be sawed in half. It always freaked him out as a child. Saihara smiled to himself as he reminisced on his childhood. Things were easier back then, when his parents still treated him like a member of their family. They would take him to magic shows, theme parks, and concerts. They would spoil him, really.

In an attempt to distract himself from the dull pain that always came along with those memories, he turned his attention to a large, crimson cabinet. The cabinet was detailed in its decoration, golden leaves adorning the outside of it. It was big enough to fit an adult inside, and Saihara was curious about its purpose. He looked at the sides of the cabinet and found that there seemed to be fake swords stuck into multiple slots. He remembered this trick from when he was a kid as well. As he examined it more thoroughly however, he noticed that there seemed to be some kind of dark liquid pooling underneath onto the wooden floor. The dark-haired man kneeled to take a closer look and swiped at the pool with his index finger. Was that… blood?

Saihara could feel his heart start to beat faster. His mouth became dry as he reached to open the cabinet, the dread almost paralyzing. He pried apart the door and saw it. The body of a man who must have been in his late twenties. There was so much blood. Six swords impaled him from his neck to his ankle, lodged deep into his body from both sides. And his face was one of pure… agony. The man’s eyes were practically bulged out of his head in fear. Saihara didn’t understand. How did this happen? How long had he been this way? Did no one else notice? He took shaky steps back from the body, backing up until he bumped into Momota’s chest. “A-ah, Momota-kun!”

“Holy shit, dude… what happened here?” His partner stood stunned, eyes transfixed on the corpse.

“I-I have no idea, I found him like this…”

Saihara heard Ouma’s voice then.

“Uh… what the hell? What is… that?” Ouma actually appeared distressed, putting his hand to his lips and staring at the body.

“W-we need to call the police…” Saihara was feeling light-headed. His stomach felt like it was twisting, nausea creeping up on him. As a detective, he was used to seeing dead bodies, but this was a completely different situation. It had caught him off guard, and the amount of gore had only made it worse. Then he heard an almost-silent mewl. He turned towards the source of the sound and saw an orange tabby cat stuck between two small boxes.

Ouma dislodged the feline and scooped it up into his arms. He chuckled, “Well, at least we found the cat!”


	5. Chapter 5

Once the police were called, the detectives handed Yumeno her cat back. After being told by the police to not divulge the information to anyone, they decided to sit in a café and have a drink in an attempt to calm themselves down. Saihara was glad he could try and relax with some tea.

“So, do you think Hoshi will let us know about what happened with the body?” Momota asked as he chugged down a lemonade.

“Yeah… probably. I was the first one to find the body, so he’ll want to follow up with me at some point…”

“But fuck, what a grisly death. I feel bad for the guy, whoever he is.”

Ouma took a break from sipping down his sugary pink drink to fake a contemplative look. “Hmm, don’t you think it’s suspicious that Saihara-chan found the body first? Don’t you think it’s a really specific place to look?” He grinned. “Almost like you already knew where to find it…”

Saihara was astonished. Did Ouma really just… accuse him of murder?

Momota opened his mouth to yell when the short boy giggled and gave a big smile. “I’m just kidding! Saihara-chan couldn’t hurt a fly!”

“You little… don’t go accusing Shuichi like that!” Momota slammed his fist down on the table. Bystanders were watching the two argue with each other. Saihara wanted to die.

“It’s not my fault you’re so dumb you believe everything I say! I’m just training you to spot lies easier, Momo-chan!”

“I said stop calling me Momo-chan! Have some fucking respect for your colleagues!”

“Enough, please.” Saihara said, uncharacteristically loud. “We just found a dead body… can you two not fight for like a second?” His voice became quiet again, worried he’d upset his partners. He just had so much on his mind… and now he had to find someone’s corpse? Why him? He held his face in his hands and sighed. He was so tired.

Ouma blinked at Saihara, silent for a moment. “Saihara-chan… is everything okay?”

Momota tried to put his arm around Saihara but was shrugged off. “Hey, man… I’m sorry.”

The blue-haired detective got up from his seat and quickly headed to the door. “It’s fine, I just… need to be on my own for now. I’m sorry.” He left the café without another word, leaving the other two detectives at their table.

\------

Well, shit. Momota knew they’d fucked up. He looked over at Ouma and glared. It was the little gremlin’s fault, to be fair. But Momota knew he shouldn’t have lost his temper with him so quickly.

Ouma hummed, then tapped on the surface of the table while sipping from his straw. He seemed preoccupied with watching cars go by outside. When he stopped drinking, he turned to Momota and asked, “Saihara-chan sure is sensitive, huh? Why is that?”

“He just… has some problems. He has anxiety. Y’know, stuff like that…” Momota bit his lip. He tried to be as vague as possible, he didn’t want to tell all of Shuichi’s business. He just thought maybe if Ouma knew, he’d try and be a bit more accommodating. 

“Hmm…” Ouma nodded. “I get it. Seems like these last couple of days have been pretty tough on him.”

That was… surprising. He didn’t know Ouma had it in him to be that understanding. Maybe Momota misjudged him…

“Well, yeah. I mean he just had to save a kidnapping victim yesterday, now he comes across a dead body? Anyone would be freaked out. I’m surprised you’re not.”

“Yeah, well I’ve seen it all before…”

“Really, like in other cases? I didn’t know you’d dealt with a lot of murder cases before.”

“Well that was just a lie… c’mon, Momota-chan.” Ouma sighed, “Anyway, how do we make it up to Saihara-chan? I’ll feel real shitty if the next time he sees us he’s all sad-looking. It’ll bring down the crime-busters mood I’ve been working so hard to create.”

Momota gave him an amused look. “What kinda mood is that?”

“Obviously, the one where we’re all badass and stop the criminals no matter what. Car chases, shootouts, all that fun stuff.” He stirred his drink with his straw. “Well, me and Saihara-chan… you can be the lookout or something, Momo-chan.”

“Tch, I’m more badass than you’ll ever be!” He made an annoyed noise, but he couldn’t help but find Ouma’s childish fantasy amusing. It kind of reminded him of himself. “I’ve always wanted to be a hero like that, it’s part of why I became a detective! So I could help people!”

“So… which is it?” Ouma raised his eyebrow and smirked.

“Huh?” 

“Are you a detective because you genuinely want to help people, or are you a detective because you want to feel like the hero? Hmm… actually, I think I know the answer to that one.”

He gave Ouma a dirty look before staring out of the window. He didn’t want to lose his cool again. “Helping people is what heroes do. You’re not a hero if you don’t genuinely wanna help people.”

“Well, maybe… I mean, I don’t really care what your reasons are as long as you don’t slow me down. You’ve stayed out of the way so far, so I can appreciate that you know your place.”

“Tch, jackass…” Momota grumbled. “So… what’s your reason for doing this? You don’t seem like the type to care about people.”

“Well… it’s like I said before. It’s a pretty exciting job. Even if it’s dangerous, as long as it’s fun, who cares?”

“You scared a guy into confessing yesterday, that’s fun for you?”

“Hey, I said we’d stop criminals no matter what. Some people need more… convincing than others.”

They held each other’s gaze for a moment. Momota just didn’t understand Ouma, it seemed like the kid made things more difficult for himself and others. It was better to be upfront and communicate, not lie and confuse people. If he pulled shit like that, it would only make things worse for everyone. He figured he’d drop it for now though. “So, you were saying we should make it up to Shuichi?”

“Yeah, we could buy his love or something. Presents always make me feel better!” Ouma had a carefree smile. Nothing seemed to faze him.

“People actually buy you shit? Why?”

“I’ll have you know I’m loved by many people! They can’t resist my charms, so I get presents all the time. Momo-chan should really contribute to my collection.” He giggled after he finished his drink, “I really like cute things, and I’m not too picky.”

“Yeah, like I’m gonna spend my hard-earned money on you.” Momota figured it wasn’t a bad idea to get his sidekick a gift. He deserved it, honestly. He stood up from his chair. “Let’s go to the mall. We can find something cool for Shuichi there.”

Ouma jumped up and sprinted out of the café. “Yay, shopping trip! You better treat me, Momo-chan!”

\------

Ouma dragged Momota by his sleeve when they arrived at the mall. He loved looking at all the different stores. Shopping wasn’t something he was able to do when he was younger, and he was glad that he could actually afford to buy his own things. It gave him a sense of independence, being forced to rely on the help of other people growing up. Knowing he didn’t have to put that huge amount of trust in anyone to provide for him was a relief for Ouma.

“Hey, let me go! Where are you taking me?” Momota yanked his arm out of Ouma’s grasp and walked alongside him.

“The bookstore. Saihara-chan’s totally the type to read murder mystery novels, right?”

“Oh yeah! That’ll really cheer him up!”

“See, I know what I’m doing, Momo-chan. You should trust me more.” He stopped between the outside of two stores. One being a generic-looking bookstore, the other being an adult toy store, decorated head to toe in a garish pink. “Orrrr… we could get Saihara-chan something _really_ fun to play with!” He chuckled darkly as he peered into the store window.

“W-what?! Don’t be fucking weird, man!” Momota’s face went red as he spluttered. “He’s not gonna want a sex toy!”

“Oh c’mon, he totally needs to let off some stea—” The short man’s face dropped. “Oh, fuck. Shit.”

Momota was confused. “Huh, what’s up?” He hesitantly looked into the store to see a busty blonde woman quickly approaching them. She had an arrogant grin plastered on her face as her gigantic studded boots stomped along the floor.

“The fuck is up, Cockitchy?! Come to get yourself an Orgasmatron 2000?” She laughed boorishly as Ouma grimaced. “I always told you to go fuck yourself, but I didn’t mean it literally!”

“Wow, Iruma-chan… it’s come down to you working in a sex shop, huh?” Ouma smirked at the girl, looking up at her with contempt. “I guess a bitch as unfuckable as you would have to resort to rubber dicks.”

Iruma gasped and recoiled swiftly, biting her lip. “Wha… what? H-how could you say that…” She began to sweat considerably.

Momota raised his voice, looking utterly baffled. “Can someone tell me what the fuck you guys are doing right now?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for the lovely comments aahhh! They give me so much motivation!


	6. Chapter 6

Momota didn’t understand what was happening here at all. Ouma knew this girl? They didn’t seem like the type to be friends at all, other than them both being annoying.

Ouma sighed and gestured towards the girl. “This dumb whore is Miu Iruma… she’s friends with my roommate.”

“Oh… hey, I’m Kaito Momota.” He extended his hand to Iruma only for it to be slapped down. Well, that was nice.

“Hands off the goods, dick cheese! You don’t get to cop a feel that quickly!” She began howling with laughter.

Momota was stunned. How was she a real person? “D-dick cheese?!”

“Aaaanyway, Iruma-chan… we’re actually looking for a book, not a dildo. It’s super sad, but we’ll have to catch up later.”

The girl jumped in front of Ouma, blocking him from leaving. “W-wait… don’t you want to know how I’ve improved this shithole of a store? Please, I worked so hard on it…” She made a futile attempt at seducing him by pushing her breasts together to pronounce them even more. Momota didn’t deny that she was attractive, but he could see why people would be turned off due to her weird attitude.

Ouma kept his eyes on her face instead and groaned, completely unfazed by her display. “Listen, Amami-chan already told me about all the freaky shit you’re ‘inventing’. Bringing in your homemade sex toys is gonna get you fired real fast.”

“Hah! No way, pipsqueak! I’m the top seller here!” Her attitude changed so fast, Momota hadn’t any time to react to it. “Fellas come from far and wide to get a good eyeful of these lovely jugs!” She laughed again, and Ouma was starting to get visibly agitated.

Momota watched as a short, white-haired boy approached Iruma. He spoke in a polite tone, and he came across as timid. “Um, Iruma-san… you are needed in the back…” He looked at the two men standing with her. “Hello, are you friends of Iruma-san?”

“Oh yeah! Hey dickbags, say hello to the bitch boy of the store, Kiibo!” Iruma shoved him right in front of the two detectives.

Instantly, Ouma’s sour attitude disappeared and it was replaced with a cutesy smile directed at Kiibo. He waved at the boy, “Hey there! I’m Kokichi Ouma, this is my boyfriend, Momo-Chan!”

Momota just stared at Ouma. He changed his personality so fast, two-faced little… wait.

“What?! I’m not your boyfriend!” He yelled at Ouma who just smirked back at him. Momota smiled at Kiibo and struck a heroic pose. “I’m Kaito Momota, world’s greatest detective!”

Ouma laughed loudly before covering his mouth, trying his best to stop himself. Momota didn’t understand what was so funny about what he’d just said.

Kiibo nodded and gave a shy smile, “It’s nice to meet you two.” He twirled his thumbs and looked away from them sheepishly. “U-um… please do not judge me for working here, it’s just been… difficult to find a place that will hire me with my limited skills.”

Ouma chuckled before winking at Kiibo. “Whatever you say, Kiiboy. It’s always the quiet ones that are the biggest freaks!” He giggled even more when Kiibo flushed a dark red.

“R-really! It isn’t like that!”

Momota hooked his arm onto Ouma’s and pulled him away. “Ouma, leave him alone. Let’s go get the present for Shuichi now.”

Ouma pouted up at him. It was way too dramatic of a look for Momota to give a shit. “Awww, Momota-chan’s no fun.” He turned to Iruma and Kiibo and waved goodbye. “Seeya later guys! Enjoy testing out the merch!”

The taller male could still hear Iruma’s obnoxious laugh when they got inside the bookstore. Fuck, was he glad that conversation ended when it did. Of course, fucking Ouma would know the most annoying person in this entire mall, it was like he attracted misfortune. “Alright, so… let’s find him somethin’ awesome to read.”

“… Are you gonna let go of my arm, or is this a date now?"

Momota dropped Ouma’s arm as fast as possible. He could feel his face beginning to heat up. “W-whatever…”

\------

Saihara was sat at the dining table back at his apartment with Akamatsu. The two were chatting about the events of that day over some tea.

“Y’know…” She started, “I get that today was difficult, Saihara-kun… but I know you can handle all of this. I mean, look how far you’ve come.” She smiled gently at Saihara.

“It’s just… seeing that body…” He mumbled into his teacup.

“I totally think it’s okay to freak out about seeing something like that! Just don’t let it slow you down. Momota-kun definitely needs you.” She chuckled, “I wouldn’t trust that guy all on his own. You gotta be responsible for his actions as well.”

Saihara sighed sadly. He knew this was just something he would need to go through as a detective, but it was the final straw after a series of problems for him. His partners weren’t making it any easier for him either. “Thank you… it’s just difficult working wi—”

There was a knock on the door, and Akamatsu got up to answer it. Saihara saw Momota and Ouma stood in the doorway with huge grins on their faces. After introducing Ouma to Akamatsu, Momota came and sat down next to Saihara.

“Hey, man… I just wanted to apologise for causing you trouble earlier. So, I got you a gift!”

Saihara blinked in surprise. “Y-you didn’t have to do that, Momota-kun… I would have forgiven you without a gift.”

“Hey! Don’t steal all the glory! I bought him it, too!” Ouma huffed and plopped himself down on one of the seats. He beamed at Saihara. “ _We_ got you a gift, Saihara-chan!”

“I paid three-quarters of the price!” Momota barked before slamming the books down on the table. “Look, Shuichi! It’s a murder mystery series. I figured my sidekick could use the training.” He winked.

“Do you like it, Saihara-chan?! I picked the series out, obviously. We’re pretty in sync so—”

“A-ah… this is very sweet of you guys, but I do already have this series of books…” Saihara laughed nervously. “But, don’t worry! I still really appreciate the gift!”

“Whaaat? Goddammit, Momota-chan! Why’d you pick this stupid series?! I said he already had it!” Ouma whined and kicked Momota under the table.

“Ah, the fuck?!” Momota kicked him back. “You little shit. You picked this out! Good thing we have a receipt.”

Ouma hissed in pain then gave a nervous chuckle. “Yeahhhh… I chucked that out the window of your car. Figured we didn’t need it.”

“Are you a goddamn moron?! Never mind, don’t fucking answer that. You are.”

Akamatsu raised an eyebrow and gave them a judgmental look. “You’re telling me you guys didn’t even check if he had the books? Wow, Saihara. You work with some real idiots.” She started the oven and smiled at them. “Want to join us for dinner?”

When both men enthusiastically agreed, Saihara gave a small smile. At least they had tried to make things easier for him, that’s all those two could really strive to accomplish together. 

They spent the night talking and playing board games until Momota and Ouma left later on.


	7. Chapter 7

It was Saturday morning, and rain fell from a clouded sky. Ouma was cuddled on the couch with Amami. They were buried underneath a fluffy blanket to escape the cold, flicking through the channels on TV after Ouma complained that he was bored of watching their typical cartoons. They ended up stopping on a news network as they chatted instead.

“So, I’m thinking of leaving for Spain in a couple weeks.” Amami said, “I figured I haven’t visited my sisters in a while, and I could use some sun.”

“Sounds great! Should I bring sunscreen?”

Amami gave a small laugh. “You know I’d take you with me if you could take the time off… but you gotta do your job, unfortunately.”

“Yeah, yeah. The world needs me or it’ll crumble or… whatever.” Ouma waved his hand dismissively.

“’Course, that’s the plight of being a superhero after all.” Amami grinned and turned his attention to the TV. A news story began, and a reporter wearing a pressed suit and a concerned frown started speaking. He spoke at length of a number of disappearances around their city. Eight people were missing, the first disappearance occurring two weeks ago. The police had no leads as to how or why they disappeared. Amami sighed and shook his head. “That must be painful for the families, not knowing where their loved ones are… think you’ll be investigating that eventually?”

“Hmm… maybe. I guess if they don’t find them.” Ouma tilted his head and chewed on his lip contemplatively. It was concerning how sudden the disappearances were, and in such a short time frame. But… he had to wonder. Wouldn’t Hoshi usually fill in their agency before the mainstream media got a hold of the story? And the people who were missing… there seemed to be no correlation between them. The ages ranged between old and young, and there was no correlation of gender either. Could it be that they weren’t actually connected at all? No… it was too much of a coincidence. He pulled the blanket around himself tighter as he thought. Maybe… it was even connected to what happened years ago. Back then, the media was quick to cover the story before the police had even released a statement.

“I see the cogs turning in that little head of yours. But don’t overdo it, alright? It’s important to take a break on the weekend. I know this is important to you, but--”

Ouma giggled. “Silly Amami-chan, I’m just thinking about what you’re gonna make me for dinner later!” He draped himself over the taller man’s lap, wrapping his arms around his waist and squeezing. “Hmm, I think an ice cream sundae sounds yummy!”

Amami glanced down at Ouma with scepticism. “Right… but I already told you we’re having dumplings tonight, didn’t I?” He threaded his fingers through the small boy’s hair.

“Aww, c’mon… I really wanna eat some ice cream tonight. It’s the weekend! You said I should take a breeeaaak!” He whined. With each word, he increased his pout. Yes, he wanted to distract Amami from their conversation, but he also really wanted ice cream. Two birds with one stone. He made the most adorable face he could and gazed into Amami’s eyes.

Eventually, Amami gave in and sighed. “Fine, I’ll make you a sundae for dessert, okay? Not before though.” He stated, trying to give his sternest look. Ouma loved how soft Amami was, even when he tried to discipline him.

“Yaaay! You’re the best, Amami-chan!” Ouma clapped and giggled as he let go of Amami. The recent events were still on his mind, however. Even the body that Saihara found yesterday didn’t make much sense as to where it was found. He glanced over at the almost complete collection of books he had managed to swipe from Saihara’s place last night. He figured if he didn’t want them, he’d take them for himself. Of course, Momota had to nab one of the books out of spite. He’d never let Ouma get away with them all.

“So… how’s Momota-kun doing?” Amami asked. He began clicking around on his laptop. Ouma figured he was booking a hotel abroad. 

“Eh, you know. He’s surviving.” Ouma shrugged as he flicked through the channels. “Personally, I’m impressed. It’s a massive feat for Momota-chan!”

“…What do you mean?” 

“Obviously, I’m talking about how dumb he is. It’s tiring me out and it’s only been a few days.”

The taller man ruffled his own hair as he chuckled. “You know he was one of the top students at his college, right? The guy’s super smart. He knows like, three languages.”

Ouma froze for a second, then hummed to himself. “… Momota-chan? Pretty impressive.” He giggled, “I guess book smarts only get you so far in life when you lack common sense!”

“I’m surprised you’re not all over him. He seems like your type.” Amami grinned at the short boy.

He scoffed and turned the volume higher on the TV. “I don’t have a type anymore. If I did, it definitely wouldn’t be Momota-chan. My days of kissing jocks are over, Amami-chan.”

“Is it the goatee?”

“Yup. And the dumb hair.”

The pierced boy pulled out his phone and opened up a photo that Momota had uploaded. It seemed like a post-workout picture. He was covered in sweat, and he had no shirt on. Typical of a guy like Momota. “Guy’s pretty jacked though, huh?”

Ouma bit his lip. He couldn’t help but stare a little too long. “Yeah… I’ll admit that.”

Amami laughed until he was silenced with a cushion to the face.

\------

“Fuck! Shit! Goddammit!” Momota cried in defeat. He pounded his fist into the neon lights of the slot machine as tears fell down his cheeks. “Why do I do this to myself?!”

Saihara just sighed. It was a sad sight, to see Momota reduced to tears over losing to the machine yet again. It happened pretty much every week. Their night would start out so hopeful, so full of promise. Momota would whisper sweet nothings into Saihara’s ear about what they would do with the money they’d win, and Saihara would believe him every time. He wanted to believe in Momota. He wanted to believe they’d buy all those exquisite desserts. Alas… that dream never came to fruition.

After being kicked out of the casino for almost breaking the machine, Momota and Saihara sat down at a quiet bar they’d frequent to drown their sorrows in alcohol. They quickly burned through Saihara’s budget for the night with the amount of drinks they ordered.

“Man… I gotta stop gambling.” Momota grunted.

“You say that every time though…”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll end it for real now.” Momota gave a cocky grin. “It’s time to focus on my sidekick’s struggles! When you need me Shuichi, I gotta be there for you. I can’t be cryin’ in a casino like a sad old man.”

Saihara smiled back at Momota. “I’m having a lot of fun just spending time with you, Momota-kun. A-anything we do together is… amazing for me.” He wondered if he’d said too much, he’d had one too many shots of vodka—

“Haha, right on, Shuichi! I knew I picked a good sidekick!” Momota slapped Saihara hard on the back a few times as he beamed at him.

“Y-yeah… I’m glad we’re partners, Momota-kun.” A wave of relief coursed over him. Of course, Momota wouldn’t misunderstand. He was always so supportive. Saihara even allowed his gaze to linger on Momota’s lips as he spoke. He was trying to focus on the words coming out of his friend’s mouth, but his mind was too blurred for him to think much at that moment.

A part of him wished that Momota had misunderstood. He wished that Momota could decipher Saihara’s feelings for him just from the longing look he often gave. He wished that Momota would read into his light brushes against him a little more… He just wanted to go home with Momota tonight. More than anything.

“Hey… Shuichi?”

Oh God, this was it. He caught him staring. Saihara didn’t care at this point. If Momota questioned him, he was ready to confess his feelings. He was ready to say fuck it and tell Momota he wanted him. Even if he regretted it in the morning, at least… tonight they could…

“Y-yeah…?” He braced himself by staring deep into his best friend’s eyes.

“You don’t look so good. I’m gonna call us a cab, okay?” Momota got out his phone and stood up from the bar.

“Yeah… okay…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly thank you guys so much for reading this story of mine! I'm so invested in it and I really appreciate the support. This is definitely gonna be a long story so I hope you stick through it with me! As always, comments are super appreciated.


	8. Chapter 8

Momota had no idea that he’d see the body again so soon. Monday morning, and the three detectives were gathered around a table with Hoshi. They were analysing the photos taken of the crime scene. He began to watch Shuichi. He had that real serious thinking face again.

As he looked over the photos, Momota asked, “So, Hoshi… do we have the victim’s identity?” 

Hoshi pulled out a paper binder and handed it to Saihara. “Yeah, his name is Kenneth Fowler. American guy. His family live in the US, and he was only staying in Japan temporarily for photography work. They got in touch over the weekend and asked us to figure this out.”

Saihara opened the binder and flipped through the documents. “American… hmm… who would he be connected to in Japan…?” He noticed Ouma trying to peek over his shoulder and bent down slightly so he could look too. “So, where should we begin?”

Hoshi shrugged and took a swig of his coffee. “There’s only one suspect so far, so you can start by visiting her place again. I don’t think she’s bright enough to pull something like this off, but there’s nothing wrong with checking.”

Ouma piped up. “It’s totally suspicious, though. I mean… we just so happened to find the body at her venue? In her equipment?”

Saihara turned to look at Ouma. “What do you think then, Ouma-kun?”

Ouma tilted his head and frowned. “Isn’t it obvious? She left her cat there on purpose so she could lead us to the body. If she told us to go there herself, it would make her look less suspicious, right?”

“But… why would she even lead us to the body in the first place? Couldn’t she just feign ignorance? If anything, she’s only calling more attention to herself.”

“Well, we did just establish that she’s not the brightest crayon in the box. Definitely a few screws loose, if you ask me.” He blinked up at Saihara for a moment, then gave him a creepy grin. “Besides, Saihara-chan… when someone _really_ wants to kill, you’d be surprised by what lengths they’d go to…”

Momota had heard enough. “Shut up! There’s no way Yumeno killed that guy!”

The short boy gave an exaggerated groan and rolled his eyes. “And… why is that, Momota-chan?”

“’Cuz… I believe in her! She’s not the kind of person who’d kill somebody!”

Ouma deadpanned. “You don’t even know her. What kind of detective just blindly puts his trust in potential suspects?”

“I believe in people because I want to! And I’ll prove that she’s innocent!”

“And what if she isn’t innocent? What if her whole demeanour is just a lie?” He stepped towards Momota, arms crossed behind his back. “A lie to fool naïve idiots like you, who are just so easy to manipulate…”

“Jeez, your way of thinking is so pure. You’re like a kid.” The tall man chuckled and grinned down at Ouma. “People ain’t that simple. They aren’t black and white like dominoes, they come in a buncha different greys.” He clenched his fist, determined. “That’s why I say Yumeno is innocent! Someone like her wouldn’t kill in such a horrible way!”

Ouma blinked in surprise. He took a while to respond. “Pure… me? Sure, if you think so, Momota-chan… No one’s ever called me that before, though.” He giggled, “I’m so happy that you’re capable of an original thought! Even if it is a dumb one.”

And there he fucking goes again, being a little prick as usual. “Fuck you! I take everything back!”

“Nuh-uh! No take backsies!”

Amidst the bickering, Hoshi sighed and mumbled to Saihara. “Go take care of this, report back to me when you’ve checked out all of the locations in the file.”

Saihara nodded and gave an apologetic smile. “Y-yes, we’ll start right now.”

\------

Saihara knocked on Yumeno’s front door. As he waited for her to answer, he spared a glance at Momota, who gave him a confident smile and winked. He felt his heart race ever so slightly and quickly looked back at the door. He had tried to keep his mind off of Saturday night. He ended up coming home so drunk that he just passed out as soon as Momota helped him to the couch. He didn’t even get the chance to jerk off. Pathetic.

Yumeno opening the door pulled him out of his brooding, as he greeted her again. “Hello, Yumeno-san… as you know, a body was found at your venue last week… we wanted to ask you some questions, if you don’t mind.”

She seemed confused as she let the men inside. “Nyeh…? I’m… a suspect?”

Saihara really didn’t want to accuse her. Especially after what Momota said earlier, and he trusted Yumeno. Besides, he had another suspicious person in mind. Hopefully, he could find her again…

Momota shook his head. “Nah, not reall—” 

“Of course you’re a suspect. We’d be dumb to not suspect you!” Ouma said, giving a carefree giggle.

“Have some fuckin’ tact at least, Jesus!” He yelled.

“Listen, Momo-chan. There’s no point bullshitting her. That’s not what I do.”

Momota huffed and crossed his arms, “Shit, could’ve fooled me.”

Yumeno shook as she spoke, her tiny body was practically vibrating. “I-I don’t know anything… really… I used that equipment the night before in my magic show… b-but I don’t even know that man…”

Ouma smirked at the girl. “It’d probably be more convincing if you weren’t, you know, on the brink of passing out?”

“R-really! You have to believe me! I don’t know anything! I had someone help tidy up backstage, maybe she saw something!”

Saihara stopped her rambling, “Ah, who was that person?”

“H-her name is Maki Harukawa… she helps care for the children who come and see m-my shows…” Yumeno squeaked. She was sweating bullets. “That night... she offered to help me tidy up… so…”

“Where can we find her?” Momota asked.

“S-she’s probably at the venue again today, I asked her to keep an eye on my equipment…”

Ouma clapped and smiled brightly. “Yay, a new lead! Now, we’re just gonna ask you some _veeery_ important questions, and we’ll be out of your hair in no time!”

\------

After Ouma had finished ‘interrogating’ Yumeno, which just seemed to be just an excuse to make snide remarks and scare the living shit out of her, they got into Momota’s car and headed to the venue.

“Maaaan,” Ouma sighed, “I really thought we had her with the ‘would you rather’ question…”

Momota scowled. “Had her? You mean you wanted her to say she’d rather eat 500 ants? Brilliant fuckin’ detective work, Ouma.”

“She really picked eating a whole live tarantula over eating 500 ants! That’s crazy. 500 ants would be down my hatch before you could even say tarantula. No thank you.” He chattered on.

“But that’s a lot of ants… at least the tarantula is one thing, y’know?” Momota didn’t really know why he was playing along with Ouma’s bullshit. Seemed like Ouma being a constant annoyance had worn him down. He didn’t want to bother arguing with him right now.

“One huge, hairy, creepy thing!” The short boy exclaimed. He poked his head through the gap in the front seats. “What about you, Saihara-chan? 500 ants or a whole live tarantula?”

Saihara giggled, “Um… can I choose neither? It’s gross to even think about…”

“You gotta pick one! That’s the point of the game!” He watched as Saihara laughed again, “Y’know… you look so much prettier with a smile on your face, Saihara-chan.”

The blue-haired boy’s eyes widened as he blushed. “T-thank you, Ouma-kun…”

Momota chuckled, “It’s true, man. It suits you better.”

Saihara flushed even deeper. Momota didn’t want to embarrass his friend, but it was the truth. Saihara sure was a pretty guy. It wasn’t weird to think that.

Ouma giggled softly. “Smile more for us, ‘kay?”

“Y-yeah… I’ll try.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm super exhausted, so this chapter is a little shorter than I'd like it to be. Hope you enjoy either way!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys do some investigating. Ouma takes a seat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I just want to thank everyone reading my story for the support! I really love getting comments and interacting with you guys, so please keep it up! I love knowing what you guys think, if there’s anything I can do to improve my writing, your headcanons for the characters, etc. I really do love this story and the characters and I hope I’m doing them justice. This started as me thinking day in, day out about how fun it would be for these guys to try and solve mysteries together, and eventually I just became super invested in this story once I wrote it. It is probably going to be over 20 chapters, I’m not sure how long it will be though. I just really want to develop the characters as much as possible, so if you guys have any input, that would also be appreciated. Anyway, enjoy!

When they arrived at the venue, they decided to go around together this time. It would be easier to cover more ground if they split up, but Saihara had insisted they stuck together. Ouma didn’t mind going with the flow. 

“Seems the backstage area is all taped off, Saihara-chan. Harukawa-chan won’t be there.” He said, watching as Saihara and Momota walked ahead of him alongside each other. It made him feel a little funny... never mind, that sickly feeling was from eating too much syrup at breakfast. Amami had warned him about that beforehand, but his sweet tooth won over in the end.

Saihara nodded. “We’ll just have to look everywhere, she couldn’t have gone far... if she is who I think she is.”

After searching for a while, they entered a small office. There, a girl was sat on one of the desks, staring out of the window. She had long brown hair that was done up in pigtails. When she heard the door open, she looked at the three detectives, her lips pressed into a straight line. Her eyes stayed on Saihara.

Saihara seemed to recognise her. “Hello… erm, your name wouldn’t happen to be Maki Harukawa, would it?”

She kept a straight face as she answered. “That’s right. Who are you?”

“We’re detectives, we’re investigating the murder that took place here last week. I’m Shuichi Saihara, this is Kaito Momota and Kokichi Ouma.” He gestured towards his partners, then took a seat near the door.

“I see. So, it was a murder…”

Ouma giggled. “What, you thought it was a suicide? With the way the body was found?”

Momota took the only other chair that was left, of course. “Don’t be a jackass, she’s just in shock.”

“I’m not in shock.” Oh, well then.

Ouma didn’t trust this girl one bit, and he wanted to get nice and comfortable before he started interrogating her. So of course, this meant sitting on Saihara’s lap.

“O-Ouma-kun! What are you doing?!” The blue haired boy stuttered, he failed his arms around as he spoke.

“Hey… what the fuck are you doing?!” Momota yelled as he watched Ouma shift around on Saihara.

The short boy chuckled and smirked at Momota. “There’s nowhere else for me to sit, since Momota-chan was greedy and took the last chair.” He swung one arm around Saihara’s shoulder and grinned up at him. “Saihara-chan makes a good chair, I should sit on him more often.”

“U-um…” Saihara flushed as he fumbled with his arms. He had no idea where to put them. Ouma made sure to breathe just a little too close to his neck. His reactions were too cute to resist.

“Besides, Momo-chan… did you see Fowler’s haircut? I’d have totally killed myself too.”

Momota gave Ouma a dirty look, then huffed as he turned his attention back to Harukawa. “Sorry for my unprofessional colleague... can you tell us where you were at night of the murder?”

“Am I a suspect?” Her crimson eyes bore into Momota. Was she trying to intimidate him?

It seemed to have worked. “Hey… why the scary face? We just wanna know what everyone was up to at that point, that’s all.”

“I watch the children who come and see Yumeno perform for them. So that’s what I did.”

“So… you were with the children all night?”

“Yes, I was.”

Ouma felt Saihara tense under him. “Did you… go backstage at all, Harukawa-san?”

“No.”

Ouma was getting tired of this. “What’s with the one-word answers, Harukawa-chan? Are you hiding something from us?”

She scowled at Ouma, but he wasn’t going to let her scare him. _He_ wasn’t a pussy, unlike Momota. “I’m trying to keep this short because you’re annoying. I have nothing to do with this. You’re only questioning me because you have no other leads. It’s pathetic.”

“Awww, you’re so worked up for someone who’s completely innocent. Normal people don’t get this upset so quickly unless they have something to hide.” He smiled at her, “you could totally kill someone, you have the face of a murderer!”

Momota shouted at Ouma, “What the fuck are you talking about?! Don’t decide something like that based on looks!”

“Oh, zip it, Momo-chan. Let the grown-ups talk for once.” Ouma snipped. His naïve outlook was starting to get in the way of Ouma’s questioning, and he couldn’t have that. If he lost his job because of this idiot, he would kill him.

“Fuck you, you can’t just go around saying whatever you want! This is a delicate situation and you’re treating it like a goddamn game!”

Saihara cut in, annoyance visible on his face. “It’s fine, Momota-kun. We’re done here for now. Harukawa-san, we’re going to give you a contact number so you can get in touch if you notice or find out anything else, is that okay?”

“I thought that was your job, boy detective.” She walked up to Saihara and took the number he’d scribbled down anyway. Then she strode out the door.

“Well she was nice. I totally trust her!” Ouma grinned and jumped off of Saihara. “Where to next, boys?”

Saihara breathed what seemed like a sigh of relief. “Since we aren’t the ones who are looking over the crime scene, I think we should go look at Fowler’s apartment.”

“Good call, Saihara-chan! Let’s go!”

\------

Fowler lived in a dangerous neighbourhood. As they navigated through the streets, Saihara took in all the dilapidated apartment buildings that surrounded them. It was a bleak jungle of greys. It made him nervous.

Ouma shivered, “Damn, this place is shady. Momota-chan, if someone attacks me…”

Momota was at Ouma’s side quick as a flash, and he smiled at him. “No worries, Ouma! Even if it’s you, I won’t let anyone hurt my partners!”

“Oh, no. I was gonna say, if I get attacked and die, I want Saihara-chan to arrange the funeral. You’d fuck it up.”

The tall man was about to put his arm around Ouma when he stopped. “Wh-what?! ...Fuck you.” He grumbled.

Ouma giggled at him, “Fuck you too, Momo-chan.”

They walked through a darkened hallway in the apartment building. The dim lighting gave it an unsettling atmosphere, and Saihara could feel his breathing pick up. Using the key that had come with the file, Saihara cautiously the door to Fowler’s room. The smell of mould was almost overwhelming as he flipped the lights on. When they eventually flickered on, Saihara was able to see that the room was about as run down as the general area. All that was there was a small fridge freezer and a tiny bedroom that had only a twin bed with a wardrobe. He closed his eyes and braced himself before he entered the room. 

Ouma wondered around the room. He played with his hair as he checked over the kitchen area. “Hmm… interesting.”

“What is it, Ouma-kun?”

He turned to look at Saihara. “Huh? Oh nothing, Saihara-chan. It’s just interesting to see where Momota-chan will be living if he doesn’t get his act together as a detective.”

Momota stormed up to Ouma and glared down at him. Ouma just gave a cutesy smile back. “What the fuck is your problem with me?”

“I think you’re an idiot, Momo-chan. Any more questions?”

“I’m not—” Momota sighed. “You don’t talk to Shuichi like that.”

“Saihara-chan isn’t an idiot.”

“You don’t even know me.”

“I know enough, trust me.”

“…Maybe you should try and give me a chance.”

Ouma smirked. “Are you asking me out?”

Momota gritted his teeth. “Who’d wanna go out with you?”

“Momo-chan, obviously!”

Saihara just sighed at the two and went into the bedroom. It was such a cramped space, he wondered how Fowler even managed to live like this. He guessed he had no choice. Saihara bent down and opened the wardrobe. A folder sat at the bottom, and he went through it. It seemed to be a portfolio of his work as a photographer. However, something was off.

As he flipped through the pages, he saw that certain pictures were different from the usual portraits of smiling families. There were photos that seemed to be taken from a discreet angle. Some of women, some of men. But they didn’t seem to know they had been photographed.

“Is that… Yuki Shirokawa?” Ouma’s voice behind him made him jump. Ouma giggled at him.

He looked at the photo Ouma was pointing at, and sure enough, it was her. A lot of them were her. The same photographs that they had found in Mori’s house. What was going on? Did… Fowler take these photographs? Mori was the one who was meant to be stalking Shirokawa…

“That’s super weird, huh, Saihara-chan?”

Momota had joined them in the bedroom, and he shook his head. “I dunno what this means. Do you think this was Fowler’s real job? Spyin’ on people?”

Ouma sat on the bed. He dangled his legs off of the edge as he hummed in agreement. “I think so. He’s a photographer… and there’s pictures of what looks to be business meetings. Maybe his clients are suspicious after all.”

Saihara bit his lip. “So… he’s spying on people for money. That means that we need to look at this murder from another angle.”

“Jeez, Mori-chan is lame. Imagine actually paying someone to stalk for you.”

“Mori did kidnap her though… Fowler wasn’t responsible for that. He was probably just paid to take the photos.” Saihara closed the file and kept it on him. He would need to show this to Hoshi later.

Momota sat next to Ouma on the bed. “So… do you think this is connected to Mori’s case, Shuichi?”

“No, I don’t think so. At least… I don’t think Fowler would be murdered over that.”

“Right, it seems like a stupid reason to kill.” His stomach growled. “Jesus Christ, I’m hungry.”

“Yeah… we should get something to eat. We haven’t eaten all day.”

Ouma beamed, “Let’s get burgers! I’m totally craving a shake, too!”

\------

They arrived at the mall and sat down in the food court. Ouma wouldn’t cease his fucking whining until they decided to get burgers, so of course Shuichi gave in.

Momota watched as Ouma rattled off a huge list of ingredients to the poor bastard working behind the counter. Of _course_ he had to order the most ridiculous thing on the menu. _Of. Fucking. Course._

After they’d got their food, they tried to find a place to sit. The food court tables seemed to be completely packed. Great. Now they’d have to look like assholes. 

That’s when they heard a voice yell, “Hey, dipshits! Over here!”

Oh fuck. Not again…

Iruma was waving them over. Kiibo was also sat at her table, looking mortified to even be seen with her. Momota understood that.

Ouma frowned, but eventually shrugged and walked over to them. “We don’t have much of a choice.”

Shuichi followed him, but he looked confused. “Who is that?” he asked Momota.

“Ouma and Amami’s friend. She’s… somethin’.” Momota mumbled and sat down with them.

Iruma was showing off a vibrating contraption that Momota hoped to God wasn’t something you were supposed to put inside you. Unfortunately, it was. “Behold, virgins! Look what mama cooked up last night!”

Ouma had attempted to ignore her and eat his monstrosity of a burger, but he paused to comment, “Why is it so spiked? Not everyone is a masochist like you, y’know.”

“W-well… I had to improvise with my own stuff at home… I can’t get a mould of a real, dick… so…” She squirmed around in her chair. “Hey! One of you fuckers help me out! Gimme a mould of your dick!”

Momota spat out his drink. What the fuck was wrong with her?! “What?! No!”

“W-wha… um…” Shuichi buried his face in his hands. Poor kid wasn’t cut out for this kind of interaction. Neither was Momota, to be fair. He wanted to cover Shuichi’s ears, but he was too hungry to stop for that.

“Momo-chan would never do that! His dick is too tiny!” Ouma laughed before taking a handful of Momota’s fries. Fucker.

“My dick is not tiny!” He slammed his hand down on the table, almost knocking over his drink.

“If you say so!”

Iruma guffawed before she pointed to them. She raised her voice yet again. “You guys need to come to my party on Friday night, 9 o’clock! The midget has my address if you need it!” She gestured towards Ouma. “And bring your shitdick friends!”

Momota scoffed. “I don’t think so. We have plans—”

Shuichi looked at him longingly. “Please… Momota-kun… let’s not go to the casino this weekend…” He begged.

He sighed. “Alright. Fine. Whatever, a party could be fun.”

Ouma snickered, “Iruma-chan’s only inviting us ‘cuz she has no friends of her own... But sure, could be fun!”

“Fuck yeah! I’ll be expecting you, don’t blow me off, or you won’t get blown!” She cheered before chuckling at her own joke.

“No one wants to get blown by you, Iruma-chan. Shut up and eat your food.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read this!!:
> 
> Okay so, I’m sorry if it’s confusing that I’ve deleted some of my chapters. This is because I honestly didn’t like the way I’d gone about writing the party and the events after it, so I decide to rewrite some chapters, because I know I can do a lot better. I want the characterisation to be the best it can possibly be, and I want to give you guys an experience that I haven’t rushed, because I love this AU so much. So, I’m going to be taking more time writing these chapters, but they will be longer!
> 
> This new party that I’ve written is (hopefully) better, and I’d like to know what you guys think so please leave comments! I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have. There will be some similar parts, but the new chapters I’m writing will be different overall, so I encourage you to read it, even if you’ve seen the first version I’ve written. This won’t happen again, so please don’t worry about me deleting a bunch of chapters. And with that said, I hope you enjoy this improved story!

The rest of the week seemed to fly by due to the fact that no new information was uncovered. Ouma styled his hair, trying to get his mind off of work, but it was so difficult. Maybe this party was what he needed after all. He’d decided on a baggy purple hoodie along with some black ripped jeans. Since it was Iruma’s party, there was no need to dress up. Amami came into the room and smiled at him. He was also dressed casually.

“Hey, you ready to leave soon?”

Ouma nodded, “Mhm! Oh, but… can you bring the Oreos with you?”

“Oreos? …Why?”

“I figured we’d eat them as snacks!”

“Iruma-san will have snacks… Are you planning something?” The taller boy asked, concern evident on his face.

“Nuh-uh! Stop being so suspicious of me, Amami-chan!” Ouma pouted as he played with his hair in the mirror.

Amami shrugged. “Fine… Oreos, got it. I’ll be waiting in the car then, alright?”

“Sure thing!” He waved at his friend as he left the room.

Ouma wandered around his room, thinking to himself. He stopped in front of his dresser and crouched down, opening a drawer full of miscellaneous items. The short boy rummaged through the drawer until he found the things he wanted to bring with him. A few rubber bands… and a large packet of purple glitter. He grinned to himself as he shoved them into his hoodie pocket and left his bedroom.

After locking the door to their apartment, Ouma met Amami in his car outside. He sat back in the passenger seat and held his hand out. “Oreos?”

The green haired boy placed the packet of cookies into his hand, eyes narrowed at him slightly. Then he began driving. “So… do you think your partners will actually show up?”

Ouma shrugged as he stared out of the window. “Dunno. I know Saihara-chan wanted to come, I don’t know about that idiot, though.”

Amami chuckled quietly. “You mean Momota-kun?”

“Yup! I think they go to the Casino together usually.”

“Oh, yeah… that guy likes to gamble a lot. He has terrible luck, though.”

The shorter boy giggled. “I told you he’s an idiot.”

When they arrived at Iruma’s house, Ouma rang the doorbell about thirty times, just for fun. He heard her rush to the door.

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ, dick-breath! Are you trying to break my fuckin’ doorbell?!” She screeched. Ouma was already regretting coming. Why was she so loud?

“Hey, Iruma-san. How’re you doing?” Amami, ever patient entered the house and gave her a short hug.

“Watch out, Amami-chan! You might catch something!” The short boy mocked concern as he shoved past Iruma.

“Hey, don’t get bitchy with me tonight, or I’m not gonna give you any booze!” She pointed a manicured finger at him aggressively.

Ouma shrugged. “Fine by me, I wasn’t planning on drinking a whole lot tonight.” He was decent at acting like he wasn’t drunk, but he really didn’t want to risk doing something stupid in front of his co-workers. He had a reputation to uphold, fear to build within them.

“Good, maybe you’ll keep your fuckin’ clothes on this time, slut!” Iruma was really going to say that? _her_ of all people?

“I’m the slut? I’m not the one who takes my clothes off at every opportunity.” He smirked as she gasped, and her lip wobbled. That was more like it.

Amami followed Ouma as he wondered around Iruma’s house. “So, when’s everyone supposed to get here? It’s already nine.” He asked.

Ouma started to walk up the stairs as he sighed, “Was this a trap to try and sell us one of those ‘Assblasters’ again? I knew Iruma-chan was up to something.”

“I-I only tried that once… and they’re a g-good investment…” Iruma’s eyes watered, then she scowled at them. “Just wait, okay?! People will be here soon, so you virgins might actually get laid for once!” She laughed heartily.

Ouma turned to give her a blank stare. “Am I a virgin or a slut, Iruma-chan? Make up your mind, dumbass.”

“W-why...” She began to whimper, then yelled as she saw the boy enter her bedroom. She sprinted up the stairs after him. “Hey! Where the fuck are you goin’?!”

“Just checking out my surroundings, Iruma-chan!” He pulled open one of her drawers and began to look through it. “Oooh, what do we have here?” He took out a small toy gun.

“Ah, that’s just one of my brilliant fuckin’ inventions! A SuperSoaker69!”

“That sounds like it’d be one of your email addresses…” Ouma mumbled as he inspected the toy.

“W-well… maybe it is! Fuck you!”

He picked up another gun from the drawer. “So… they’re water guns?”

“Yup! But they’re advanced as fuck! They load super quickly and efficiently, and can hold a fuckton of water… or any other fluid…” She flushed a bright pink while muttering to herself. “The power… it’s incredible…”

“Well, that’s not disgusting at all!” Ouma chirped before shoving the two guns into his pocket. “I’ll be taking these, this could be interesting!” He grinned.

Amami chuckled, “Interesting, huh?”

\------

Saihara and Momota ended up arriving at Iruma’s place by ten. Akamatsu had agreed to go with them, happy to take a break from practicing piano. Saihara was already on edge. He felt rude showing up late, but Momota was having trouble with his hair, apparently. It was worth the wait though, he looked really good. Saihara tried his best not to stare, but he was wearing a navy tank top that showed off his muscular arms. Whenever he gripped the steering wheel, it caught Saihara’s attention. He really needed to stop making it so obvious. Akamatsu had winked at him through the rear-view mirror, and he’d wanted to die.

“We need to get Saihara-kun a drink, fast. He seems real thirsty!” She chuckled.

Momota frowned and turned to Saihara. “Really? You okay man?”

“Y-yeah… I’m fine…” Saihara stared down at his knees. Akamatsu loved to embarrass him. She said it was cute when he blushed, but now he was just mortified. He planned to get drunk and forget about all of this.

When they got inside the house, there were quite a lot of people there. It surprised Saihara; he didn’t expect Iruma to have so many friends. He spotted Ouma and a green haired boy talking in the kitchen. Momota had his hand on his shoulder and steered him towards them.

“Hey, Amami! How’s it goin’, man?” Momota smiled as he patted the boy on the back.

“I’m great, how about you, Momota-kun?”

“Oh, Shuichi. This is my friend, Amami. We hung out a lot when we were in college.”

Saihara gave a shy smile towards Amami. He sure was handsome, it was kind of intimidating. “Nice to meet you, Amami-kun.”

“You too.” He grinned at him. It made Saihara nervous.

Ouma downed a shot, then pouted. “Don’t ignore me!”

Momota rolled his eyes. “No one’s ignoring you. Not everything revolves around you, y’know?”

“It totally should, though. Saihara-chan looks great!”

“T-thank you…” Saihara blushed and giggled nervously. He was sort of embarrassed. He’d just put on a white dress shirt with some black jeans. He didn’t really think of himself as very fashionable. Akamatsu had lent him a silver choker to “spice up the outfit”. It was her idea to match their outfits, Akamatsu wearing a tight white dress with a similar choker.

“He looks adorable, right?!” Akamatsu cheered. “Nice to meet you, Amami-kun!”

Iruma stalked up to them, and chortled, “What’s up, bitches?! Get to drinkin’ already!”

Saihara noticed Akamatsu checking Iruma out. “Damn, you look hot tonight, thanks for inviting us!”

“Psh, no fuckin’ problem, cow tits!” Iruma grinned.

Akamatsu was stunned, and she glared at Iruma. “C-cow tits?! What is your problem?!”

Amami cringed and gave Saihara a sympathetic smile. “Ah, geez…”

They had decided to gather in the living room to play truth or dare. Saihara sat down on the couch with Akamatsu, Amami was on the floor in front of them. Iruma had served everyone drinks, and a large number of shot glasses filled up the coffee table in the middle of the room.

Momota was sprawled out on the couch opposite to them, already chugging down a drink. Ouma was perched on the arm of the couch, a sizeable distance away from the other boy. Saihara guessed it made sense, they didn’t exactly get along.

Iruma knelt on the floor as she shouted, “Alright, bitches! Truth or dare time! Who’s first?”

Ouma raised his hand with a grin, “Iruma-chan? Can you tell us the truth as to why you have soooo many dildos? It’s weird.”

“W-what?! That’s personal!” She shrieked.

Saihara blushed. Was this what tonight was going to be like?

Amami interjected calmly. “Anyway… who wants to start?”

Momota shrugged, “Amami, you wanna go?”

“Oh… sure. Truth, I guess.” He chuckled, his tone relaxed.

“How many people have you fucked?!” Iruma began laughing obnoxiously.

Akamatsu balked before scolding her. “N-no! Don’t ask something so pervy!”

“Aw, c’mon! Lighten up, ya flat chested wench!”

Ouma rolled his eyes, “I agree with Akamatsu-chan. Iruma-chan, shut that glory hole you call a mouth.”

“W-w-what?” Iruma whined before promptly shutting up.

“Jeez… Amami, where’s the weirdest place you’ve gotten pierced?” Momota asked, exasperated.

The green haired boy chuckled nervously as he ruffled his hair. “Well… uh—”

Iruma blurted out, “It’s his dick! I’m fuckin’ calling it now!”

Ouma raised his eyebrows as he twirled some of his hair. “Oooh, Amami-chan’s pretty daring!”

“What are you two talking about? You were there when I got them…” Amami sighed. “I have my nipples pierced, I guess you can call that weird.”

Saihara found himself blushing deeper. He decided to take a shot, hoping it would help him relax a little.

“Whip those babies out and let us take a gander, pretty boy!” Iruma said.

Amami just laughed again. “Nah… I’m good.”

Ouma downed another shot before whining, “Boooring! Someone choose dare already!”

Momota piped up. “I’ll do a dare, bring it on!”

The purple haired boy put down his shot glass and smirked. “You sure you can handle it, Momo-chan?”

“Of fuckin’ course! I’m Kait—”

Ouma’s face blanked, his voice commanding. “Then get down on your knees and act like a dog.”

“Wh-what?! The fuck?!”

“You heard me. Now be a good dog, Momo-chan!” The shorter boy snapped his fingers.

Momota’s voice cracked. “No way! That’s fuckin’ weird!”

Amami shrugged, a hint of a smile tugging at his face. “I mean… you did pick dare, Momota-kun.”

Iruma cackled, “Damn, that’s some kinky shit! Hurry it up, dick cheese!”

Momota scowled, “It’d hurt my pride as a man! No way I’m doin’ that shit!”

“Fine, fine… you don’t wanna do it. I get that Momota-chan is scared of a little dare…” Ouma smiled teasingly.

The taller boy suddenly jumped up and drank one of the shots. “I’m not scared! I’ll do it!” He proceeded to kneel in front of Ouma.

Stifling a laugh, Ouma smirked, “That’s more like it! Now bark, dog boy!”

All Saihara could do was watch in shame. He watched as Momota degraded himself to a pathetic impression of a domesticated animal. As he barked, everyone laughed at how ridiculous he looked. The few minutes seemed like hours. Ouma had fallen onto the couch, tears in his eyes as he giggled uncontrollably. Momota’s eyes stayed glued to the floor once he got back up onto the couch, defeated.

“W-well… um…” Saihara began, eager to forget what just happened. “Akamatsu-san… truth or dare?”

She gave a pleasant smile towards Saihara, “Truth, I guess!”

Kiibo sat beside Iruma. He spoke politely, “I remember being at one of your piano recitals… I was wondering… what is it you love about playing the piano so much? Clearly, you’re very passionate.”

Ouma sat up abruptly, shocked. “Wait… Kiiboy is here?! Since when?”

Kiibo frowned. “I’ve been here the whole time!”

“Of course I can answer that, Kiibo!” Akamatsu said, “It’s honestly about making people happy with my music. If I can make them smile, or feel at peace, I know it’s all worth it. The long hours of pra—”

Iruma cut her off. “Yeah, yeah! Just admit you use the keys for fingerin’ practice!”

“What?! What are you even talking about?!” Akamatsu glowered at Iruma. Kiibo was appalled.

Saihara decided to take another shot. He kept his eyes on the glass for a little while as he spaced out slightly. When he raised them, he saw Ouma making eye contact with him and grinning. Oh no.

“Saihara-chaaaan…” The short boy singsonged with a mischievous look in his eye.

“Y-yes…?”

He leaned forward on the couch, his chin in his hand. “Truth or dare?”

“Um… t-truth…” He mumbled. No way he’d pick dare with Ouma in charge.

Ouma puffed out his cheeks. “You’re all super lame! But fine…” He hummed to himself before speaking again, “What is your type, Saihara-chan?”

“M-my type…?”

“Yeah, like what are you into?” Ouma giggled. “Y’know like… short and cute, tall and muscular… that kind of thing.”

The navy haired boy flushed as he stuttered, “U-um… I…” He looked at his feet. No way he could just describe Momota. “I’m… not too picky…”

“Haha, of fuckin’ course not! You’re a desperate virgin!” Iruma grinned.

Ouma narrowed his eyes. “Iruma-chan, can you gag yourself? I know you have that kind of stuff in your room.” He smirked as the blonde recoiled from his comment. “But thanks for being honest, Saihara-chan. Of course you wouldn’t care about looks!”

Saihara cocked his eyebrow. Was that supposed to be an insult or a compliment…?

“Alright, already! Someone gimme a dare!” Ouma’s eyes flashed with excitement.

Momota groaned. “Always gotta have the attention on you, huh?”

“Yup! C’monnnn, dare me somethin’ good!” He huffed, arms folded.

A quiet girl Saihara believed was named Shirogane piped up. “Umm… I’m not sure what to suggest…”

Amami shrugged. “You’d probably do almost anything… unless…”

“Ah-hah! I got a good one!” Iruma blurted out.

“Then dare me alreadyyyy!”

The blonde pointed to Momota. “Sit on this shit-for-brains’ lap for five minutes! No less!”

Ouma cocked his head, eyes wide. “Momota-chan…?”

“Hey! I didn’t fuckin’ agree to that!” Momota growled. “Get someone else to do it!”

The short boy hopped off of the couch and sat himself on Momota’s lap, his back facing him. “Easy. I mean… it’s gross, ‘cause it’s Momo-chan, but I can handle it for five minutes.”

“S-screw you…” Momota seemed irritated, and somewhat flustered. Saihara felt bad for the both of them, but he figured they’d be able to handle not killing each other for five minutes.

“Aww, you two look real fuckin’ cosy like that!” Iruma chuckled. 

Everyone agreed to take another shot, then Shirogane cleared her throat before speaking, “Um… Saihara-kun? Would you like to try a dare?”

Saihara thought about it. He felt a little more relaxed, and if it was Shirogane daring him… maybe…

“U-um… okay…”

She smiled kindly. “How about… you say two good things about every person in the room?”

“Oh… erm… sure?” Saihara said. He didn’t think that was too bad… He could probably do that. “Um… Akamatsu-san…”

Akamatsu perked up. “Yup?”

“U-um… I think… you’re very talented at piano… and you have a really kind heart…” He blushed slightly. This was more embarrassing than he thought, and that was just Akamatsu. She smiled at him sympathetically as she thanked him. He should have picked truth… His eyes landed on Shirogane.

“Shirogane-san… y-your glasses are nice… and… you have nice hair?” He stuttered. Shit, that was all superficial stuff… this was difficult.

“Aww, thank you. I don’t get a lot of compliments on my looks, since I’m so plain.” She stated.

Ouma gave an exaggerated yawn and leaned back on Momota. “Hurry this uuupppp! This is the last turn, since I’m getting super bored.”

Momota glared at him. “You don’t get to decide when we finish!”

The short boy swung his arm around Momota’s neck as he pouted and crossed his legs. “I totally do! Isn’t that right, Amami-chan?”

Amami sighed. “Hey, don’t bring me into this… got anything nice to say about me, Saihara-kun?”

Saihara blinked in surprise. What could he say about Amami? He sure was good looking… but there was no way he could say that out loud. “Um… you seem nice… and…” _You’re really handsome._

“You… have a cool style…?” He averted his eyes from Amami.

The green haired boy chuckled. “Thanks… if that’s not a question. You don’t look too bad yourself.”

Saihara felt his face heat up, and he quickly covered it in embarrassment. “T-thank you…” He turned to Kiibo, and mumbled, “Y-you seem nice, Kiibo… and I like your hair…”

Kiibo blushed slightly, and hid his face in his sweater. “Thank you… I appreciate that…”

Saihara took a deep breath in. Only three more people left… but Iruma was going to be difficult. He stared at the girl for a moment, trying to think of something nice to say that wouldn’t be an outright lie.

Ouma giggled, “Don’t worry, Saihara-chan! You can skip barf-breath over there, she has no good qualities.”

Iruma turned to point at Ouma. “You fuckin’ gremlin! Don’t think I won’t strangle your twink ass ‘cause you’re all up on your boyfriend!”

“Waaahhh! Save me, Momo-chan! She’ll breathe on me and I’ll faint!” He clung to the muscular boy, who spluttered.

“W-what the fuck?! Cut it out, already!” He tried to pry Ouma’s arms off of him, but the other boy wouldn’t let go.

“U-um… Iruma-san… I think you seem very… confident?” Saihara started, “Also… your house is nice…”

Iruma smirked and pointed at her chest. “…Fuck was that? I have two huge, great things you could’ve talked about all night!”

Amami looked at Saihara and put an encouraging hand on his knee. “You only got Ouma-kun and Momota-kun left…”

“Y-yeah… umm… Ouma-kun…” He paused with a finger to his lips. What if he said something dumb? Would Ouma tease him about it forever?

“What is it, my beloved Saihara-chan?” The short boy grinned. 

“Um… I think you’re… funny… and you seem like a good de—”

“Boyfriend? Yeah, I get that a lot.” Ouma chuckled as he adjusted himself on top of Momota, who rolled his eyes.

Saihara blushed. “N-no… a good detective…”

“Awww… But sure, that too!”

The navy haired boy closed his eyes as he began to think of what to say to Momota. The things he wanted to say… the things he couldn’t say. He’d have to think of something else, for now. “Momota-kun… you’re very i-inspiring… and… a good friend…” He mumbled.

Momota gave an embarrassed chuckle, “Wow… thanks bro…”

“Y-yeah… no problem…” Saihara smiled.

“Okaaay! Enough of this boring crap! Let’s do something more fun!” Ouma jumped up off of Momota and ran out of the room energetically.

Saihara shuffled anxiously. He had a bad feeling about this. What was he planning to do…?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to give a huge thanks to EuroBlade on here for just being so awesome and for taking the time to help me sort out this story! You really helped me keep the writing on point and I just… appreciate you so much ahhh!


	11. Chapter 11

Momota followed Ouma into the kitchen, Shuichi and Amami tagging along. He couldn’t trust the little bastard not to do something… messed up. It was a pretty spacious kitchen, decked out with a bunch of baking apparatus. He didn’t really peg Iruma as the type to bake. He saw Ouma leaning on one of the counters. He wobbled a bit as he fidgeted with something in his hands. A cardboard box?

Ouma turned to Momota, “Hey there, Momo-chan! Care for an Oreo?” He gestured to a plate full of them.

Momota cocked his eyebrow and regarded him suspiciously. “Yeah, no. I don’t trust anythin’ you’re offering.”

Ouma pouted. “Momo-chan is so mean… I’m just trying to get some meat on those bones!”

“Huh? You’re the skinny one here; you’re like a twig!”

“It suits me though.”

“Debatable.”

The short boy chuckled, “How rude!” Kiibo entered the room. When he made eye contact with Ouma, he approached them. Ouma smirked. “Hey, Kiiboy… you like Oreos?”

The silver haired boy blinked as he turned to the plate of cookies. “Um… yes. I do, actually…”

Ouma picked up the plate, presenting it to Kiibo as a waiter would. “Welp, have at ‘em, Kiiboy!”

Kiibo started to reach for one, then stopped himself. “Are… you sure?”

“Of course! You _are_ my favourite, after all.” He grinned.

Momota leaned his arm on the counter as he watched the scene play out. He had no idea what Ouma had planned… but he sure as hell wanted to find out.

Kiibo took a small bite out of the Oreo. He made a face, but continued eating anyway. Ouma frowned, his brows furrowed.

“…You like it, Kiiboy?” He questioned, surprised.

Once he was finished eating, the boy replied. “I’m not the biggest fan of mint, but I do appreciate the kind gesture, Ouma-kun.”

Ouma’s mouth hung open. “It’s… toothpaste…”

“W-what?!” Kiibo shrieked.

The purple haired boy huffed and slammed the plate down. “I put toothpaste in the Oreos, dummy! You were supposed to be all grossed out!”

Momota glared at Ouma. He _knew_ the little shit was up to something. “You were tryna get me to eat that shit!”

“Well, duh! That’s what a prank is!”

Shuichi looked down at the floor, disappointed. Oreos were his favourite... “Do you have any normal ones left…?”

“Nope, I put toothpaste in all of them!”

Kiibo sighed. “So… you were trying to trick me…”

“Yeah, but it didn’t work because Kiiboy is so frickin’ boring! Ugh.” He pouted briefly before lifting the cardboard box up from the floor and placing it onto the counter. He opened it, reviewing its contents. “Oh well, we can have some fun with this stuff!”

Shuichi looked over the boy’s shoulder, peering into the box. “What’s in it?”

Ouma quickly slammed the box shut and wagged a finger at Shuichi. “Nuh-uh! You can’t see yet, Saihara-chan!” He dropped the box and kicked it under the table, sprinting out of the kitchen to where the speakers were playing music and unplugging them. 

Iruma yelled at him, “What the fuck are you doin’ turning the music off?!”

Amami shook his head. He observed Ouma carefully, his arms folded. “He can be so childish…”

Ouma ran into the kitchen, Iruma chasing after him. He nearly escaped her grasp, diving under the table and grabbing the cardboard box. He climbed onto the kitchen table and loudly cleared his throat before he opened the box, quickly pulling an item out and hiding it behind him. He waited for a crowd to form in the kitchen. “Excuse me everyone, may I have your attention please?”

Momota stood with Amami and Shuichi as they watched. The green haired boy had his arm around Shuichi’s shoulders, holding him steady. Ouma brought his hand from behind his back and pulled out a long, purple object… a dildo? Why was it so… spiky?

Ouma waved it around, “Here, we have one of Iruma-chan’s prized possessions! Now… would anyone like to have this disgusting monument to mankind’s fail—”

Iruma chucked a rolling pin at him. Ouma dodged it before continuing his speech.

“G-get the fuck off my table, you cuck!”

“Now, now, Iruma-chan! We’re not at the best part yet!” He rummaged around in the box and pulled out a tablet.

“Now… this right here, is something veeeery interesting!” Ouma held the tablet out and showed it to the onlookers. “It might look like your average tablet, but actually…” When he turned it on, the screen displayed Iruma on her bed early in the morning, wearing lingerie.

_“Day one of the Shit Saga… I’ve been having trouble goin’ to the bathroom so—”_

“Knock it off, fucker!” Iruma kicked the table with all her might, knocking Ouma and multiple items that were on the table flying. Momota sprinted to catch Ouma before he landed on the floor. Amami set Shuichi on the ground gently before rushing to check on Ouma, holding onto the short boy’s arm.

“Hey… you alright? Are you hurt?” Amami asked. Ouma shook his head, a bit dazed.

“Nah, I’m fine… Amami-chan is my hero!” He beamed, leaning into Amami’s arms as the video continued playing on the floor.

Momota grit his teeth. “Hey, I caught you, too!”

Ouma turned towards Momota. “Oh… you did, Momo-chan? I didn’t even notice you there.”

“Stop fuckin’ calling me Momo-chan!” He growled. “And someone turn that fuckin’ video off!”

Iruma began to sweat profusely as she trembled, face flushed. “I’m… so embarrassed!” The crowd of people stood there awkwardly, some laughing and others grimacing.

Amami sighed. “Why do I get the idea she doesn’t really mind?” His hand left Ouma, bending over to pick up the tablet and turn it off. “Are you trying to get killed tonight, Ouma-kun?”

Ouma walked towards a counter, leaning on it for support and shrugging. “I’m just easily bored, y’know? I wanted to spice things up a little.” He reached into his hoodie pocket and retrieved a rubber band. He flung it at Iruma, but missed. “Darn it… almost killed the witch!” He went to reach for another but stopped himself. He grinned mischievously as he walked back to the box. He pulled out another large dildo.

Momota saw that he was preparing to launch it at Iruma as she yelled at him, being held back by Kiibo and Akamatsu. He had to stop the violence. Momota ran towards Ouma before he could release the toy, only to be smacked in the mouth with it. Ouma creased over with laughter as the bright orange dildo bounced off of Momota’s face, landing on the floor. That did it.

Momota reached into the box and picked up another dildo, which was neon green and much larger. He whacked Ouma in the arm with it repeatedly. “Stop. Fucking. Around!” He spat.

Ouma looked surprised, but giggled. He picked up the toy from the floor hit him back. “Overcompensating for something there, Momo-chan?”

“W-what?! Shut the fuck up!” The two boys began to duel with the toys while bystanders cleared their path. Sure, it was juvenile, but Momota wasn’t going to back down to a little punk like Ouma.

The shorter boy was backed into a corner while he swung the toy back and forth, clashing with Momota’s makeshift sword. “Momota-chan sure is tough! I bet your real dick can’t handle this much abuse!”

“Wanna fuckin try?! I’ll kill you!” Momota jabbed the dildo into Ouma’s chest to replicate a stabbing, and the smaller boy dramatically fell to the ground.

“I’ve… been… bested…” He groaned, a smile betraying his pained voice.

Momota struck a triumphant pose and grinned. “Hah, that’s what you ge—”

Ouma reached up and hit the taller boy in the groin. Hard. He doubled over in pain as Ouma stood and bowed.

“Thank you for attending the duel, ladies and gentlemen! As you can see, the evil has been defeated!”

“Y-you… fucker…” Momota grunted as he braced himself on the kitchen counter. He should have seen that shit coming. He noticed everyone apart from Shuichi and Ouma leave the kitchen and sighed. Of course they’d be the ones cleaning everything up.

Shuichi wobbled over to them and spoke softly, “Are… you okay, Momota-kun?”

Ouma whined. “Saihara-chaaaan, what about my wound?! Aren’t you gonna kiss it better?”

The navy haired boy flushed. “Erm… n-no…?”

\------

After they tidied up the kitchen, Ouma reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out one of Iruma’s water guns.

“What’s that?” Momota asked as he pushed a seat into the table.

“It’s a water gun! Wanna have a fight with me, Momota-chan?” He handed Momota the second gun he had and walked to the sink to fill up his own. His first choice, Saihara, was far too drunk to play with. Amami was busy taking care of him, so he was stuck with this idiot. 

“We don’t ha—” The taller boy was cut off when he was blasted in the face with water. “What the fuck, Ouma?!”

Ouma giggled and dashed out of the kitchen. “You’ll have to get me back now, Momota-chan! Your pride as a man has been destroyed enough tonight!”

“Come back here you little—”

Ouma ran out into the back garden. It was a pretty place, Iruma certainly took care of her plants. He didn’t have much time to admire the scenery before he was soaked with cold water. Momota laughed smugly as continued to shoot at him, and Ouma returned fire. He should have used cold water too, but he was trying to be nice… so much for that. The two ran around the garden as they shot at each other until their clothes and hair were soaked. The muscular boy being drenched from top to bottom was almost enough to distract Ouma from their fight. Almost. He frowned once they ran out of ammo.

“Aww… Momota-chan ruined my hair and outfit!”

“ _Your_ hair and outfit?! Look at me!” Momota gestured towards his own ruined hair, annoyed.

“But yours never looked good to begin with, so…”

“Fuck you!”

Iruma handed the two some towels to dry off once they’d got inside, bitching about them stomping on her flowers, which they totally didn’t. Amami walked over to them.

“Hey… we’re gonna head to bed… Saihara-kun’s a little…” He turned to Saihara, passed out with his head on the kitchen table.

Ouma shook his head. “Damn, Saihara-chan’s a real big drinker, huh?” He didn’t really think Saihara was the type to drink, but he guessed it made sense. He’s been pretty stressed out lately.

Momota scowled at him. “Don’t talk about him like he’s some alcoholic, alright? He’s just a lightweight.”

“It’s not smart to get this drunk around your colleagues though. I mean… what if he’d done something he’d regret?”

“What do you mean?”

Ouma fiddled with his hair, averting his eyes from Momota’s. “Oh, nothing… I just personally wouldn’t let my guard down around you guys.”

The other boy stared. “…What?”

“Forget it. Let’s go to bed.”

Amami brought Saihara upstairs with the two detectives behind him, and Iruma pointed at one of her spare rooms.

“Okay, fuckers. You three twinks can share this room. There’s only one bed, so you’ll be able to get all nice and cosy, if ya know what I mean!” She cackled.

Momota took Saihara from Amami and carried him into the bedroom while Ouma made a snide remark.

“Unfortunately, Iruma-chan, you won’t be around to watch!” The short boy stuck his tongue out, slamming the door in her face.

Saihara groaned as Momota sat him on the floor, “No slamming…”

“Shuichi, do you wanna sleep on the bed or here?”

“I’m gonna sleep here…” The blue haired boy laid down and shut his eyes, falling asleep almost instantly. At least the rug was soft.

“Well… that settles that.” Momota began to peel his soaked shirt off. Ouma smirked and did the same with his hoodie.

“So… are we doing this, Momota-chan?” He giggled.

The taller man turned to look at him and raised a brow. “Doin’ what?”

“Taking our clothes off together!”

“F-fuck off! My clothes are wet, so…”

“Just kidding, Momota-chan!” Ouma removed his jeans and jumped onto the bed.

“Hey! Don’t… just take the bed to yourself.” Momota yelled, his voice quickly decreasing in volume.

The smaller detective winked at Momota, then pulled the covers up. “You wanna share then?”

“No! Who’d wanna sleep next to you?!”

He smiled, shuffling under the sheets. “Plenty of people, including Momo-chan!”

“Stop fuckin’ calling me that! Ugh, never mind!” Momota growled as he pulled off his jeans and laid next to Saihara.

Ouma watched the other boy’s body from the bed. Distracting himself from Momota’s abs, he shuffled around to get comfortable, then yawned loudly. “Do you want a pillow, Momota-chan?”

“No. Shut up and sleep.”

“Saihara-chan should have one at least!” He chucked a pillow at Momota’s face.

“Knock it off!” The other boy threw it back aggressively. “And turn the fuckin’ lamp off.”

Ouma switched the lamp off and giggled, “G’night, Momota-chan!”

\------

Momota rubbed his eyes as light filtered in from the window, the sun shining directly into them. He rubbed his temples in hopes of easing the pain from his hangover. He turned his head towards Shuichi’s sleeping body, watching the rise and fall of his chest. He was drooling slightly, but it wasn’t unpleasant… it was kind of cute, especially with his bedhead. He reached his hand out to shake him awake, but a loud voice woke Shuichi first.

“Mooooorning, Momota-chaaaaaan! You must’ve had some crazy dreams!” Ouma hopped out of bed, bouncing towards the two on the floor. It was like he had an endless supply of energy.

“Mm… Ouma-kun…?” Shuichi mumbled, his eyes fluttering open.

“Oh, Saihara-chan is up too? Let’s get breakfast together, then!”

“What do you mean I had crazy dreams…?” Momota furrowed his eyebrows.

“‘Cuz you were moaning Iruma-chan’s name in your sleep. I don’t know what you dreamed about, but those noises were suuuuper gross!”

“Don’t fucking lie!”

“I would _never_ lie to you, Momota-chan!”

Shuichi stood up slowly and held his head. “Yeah… let’s eat, please…”

Momota got up and put his hand on his friend’s shoulder. Shuichi wobbled slightly at the contact. “You okay, bro?”

“Of course he’s okay, Momota-chan! You don’t need to baby him!”

“I’m not, I’m just making sure he’s okay!”

Ouma rolled his eyes, walking towards the door. He twisted the knob before looking back at Momota. “Sure.” He giggled, looking him up and down. “You really should put some clothes on, Iruma-chan might go crazy if she sees a guy in just his boxers, even if he isn’t hot. Then again, you’d probably be into that…”

“S-shut up! You’re wearing boxers, too!” Momota shoved past him, leading the way downstairs.

“But I have a t-shirt on at least!” He left the room, holding the door open for Shuichi.

Shuichi blushed slightly and stuttered as he walked, “Um… why _are_ you two in boxers?”

“Oh… we were having a pretty intense make-out session last night, then Momota-chan fell asleep on me!”

Momota clenched his fist as they walked down the stairs. “I said stop fucking lying!”

“You can’t ask me to do that, Momota-chan! My body is made up of 70 percent lies.”

“I’m not asking you, I’m telling you.”

When the men walked into the kitchen, Iruma sat at the table fiddling with some sort of machine. Momota watched her for a minute, deciding not to question it. Amami was also there, eating a sandwich.

Iruma looked up, grinning at the trio. “’Sup, cucks?! Enjoy your threesome last night?!”

“Nah, Momota-chan doesn’t last very long…”

Momota glared at Ouma, “Fucking shut up already.” He hissed. Shuichi sat down next to Amami, groaning as he dropped his head onto the table.

Amami chuckled quietly, gently patting Saihara’s head. “Looks like you need something to eat, Saihara-kun.” The other boy nodded, grunting softly. Amami stood up. “I’ll make you some tea and toast. That should help you feel better.”

“Yay! Amami-chan, make me some breakfast too!” Ouma cheered.

“Fine, fine… why are you guys half naked?”

Iruma smirked, “I dunno, but it’s some high-quality spank bank material, that’s for sure!”

Ouma tilted his head, “Iruma-chan… why are you such a disgusting bitch? Have some decency.”

The blonde recoiled with a whimper before snapping at him. “You two are the fucks that came out with your mornin’ wood all exposed!”

Momota sighed and opened the cupboard. “Can we just fuckin’ eat already? We’ll get dressed once we’re fed.” He took out a bowl, going to the fridge for milk and the pantry for cereal.

Amami leaned against the counter, waiting for the bread to toast. “What are you guys planning on doing after this? Would you like to come back with me and Ouma-kun?”

The short boy sat down at the table, awaiting his breakfast. “Saihara-chan is welcome, but Momota-chan isn’t!”

“Fuck you!” Momota slammed his full bowl down on the table, almost spilling his cereal.

“Don’t be mean, Ouma-kun.” Amami scolded him while taking out the finished toast and buttering it. He smiled at Momota, “Of course you can come, Momota-kun. We can all watch a movie or something while Saihara-kun recovers.”

“Yeah… that’d be cool.”

“Psh, whatever! Momota-chan better not be as annoying as he was last night!”

“ _You’re_ the one who’s annoying!”


	12. Chapter 12

Saihara laid on Amami’s couch, his head throbbing. He overheard the other men in the room arguing. Their voices were amplified, adding to the pain. He scrunched his eyes shut and tried to drown them out when he was addressed by Momota.

“Isn’t that right, Shuichi?!”

Saihara blinked slowly as the other boy spoke, seeing his lips move but not comprehending the words that came out. “Hmm…?”

Ouma huffed, “Stop bothering him, Momota-chan, he’s sick!”

Momota glared at Ouma, “I’m not bothering him! He needs to take painkillers!”

The shorter boy crossed his arms. “No, he doesn’t! It’ll make him sicker if anything!”

“No, it won’t!”

Saihara sighed. “Please… just be quiet.”

Ouma spoke with a hushed tone, “See, Momota-chan? I said you were bothering him.”

“Oh, shut up, you fuckin’ brat…” Momota muttered.

Amami came from the kitchen with a cup of tea and placed it on the coffee table. “How’re you feeling, Saihara-kun?”

The navy haired boy slowly sat up on the couch, trying not to make himself feel more ill. “I’m okay…”

“You don’t seem okay.” Amami tilted his head in concern.

“R-really… thank you for taking care of me…” He smiled up at the other boy. He saw Momota frown.

“Is there anythin’ I can do for you, bro?”

“No… I just want to rest…”

“Momota-chan! Let’s have a pillow fight!”

“Why do you always wanna fight with something?! Chill out, alright?”

Ouma rolled his eyes. “Ugh, you’re no fun!”

The four of them decided to watch a romantic comedy, ignoring Momota’s protests. They laid sprawled out on Amami’s furniture. Saihara’s head was in Ouma’s lap while the other boy stroked his hair gently. Usually, it would have embarrassed him, but it slightly distracted from the pain. His eyes began to close, the background noise of the movie lulling him to sleep.

\------

On Sunday morning, Ouma sat at Amami’s kitchen table. He made Ouma some pancakes with syrup. Not as much syrup as Ouma would’ve liked, but enough he supposed. They finished eating when Amami spoke.

“So… I’m going to the library today.”

Ouma cocked his head. “Oh yeah? Why’s that, Amami-chan?”

“I need to pick up some books for my trip.”

“Ohhh… sounds boring.”

Amami furrowed his brows while sipping his tea. “It’s not boring, Ouma-kun.”

“It totes is! But fiiiine, I’ll come with you so you’re not bored!”

“You don’t have to—”

“But! You have to pay me with ice cream!” He grinned.

“…You want ice cream?”

“Yup!”

Amami shrugged. “That’s alright with me. Hurry and get ready then, I’m gonna be leaving soon.”

“Alrighty!”

Ouma ended up taking an hour to get ready. To be fair, he had trouble deciding on what to wear. Amami didn't seem to understand his struggle, shooting him a stern look once they got in his car.

“You took a long time, Ouma-kun.”

“Don’t be mean, Amami-chan! We can’t all look perfect 24/7 like you!” The shorter boy whined.

“Flattery won’t get you anywhere.”

“Whatevs, just drive already!”

“Sure…” He started the car, and they drove to the local library. Ouma insisted they get the ice cream beforehand, but Amami said he wanted to be sure they actually got what they came out for first. 

The library was huge and modern, filled with a few amenities that would accompany a reading session pretty nicely; if only Ouma was into that kind of thing. There was even a whole area for sitting right next to an indoor fountain. He watched as Amami began wondering around, picking up various books. He seemed to have decided what to read in advance, so it didn’t seem like it would take too long. Still, Ouma was already bored.

He walked up to his friend and whined, “Amami-chaaaan!”

The taller boy was flicking through a large book on wildlife when he paused and turned to Ouma. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m bored, let’s get ice cream already!”

“Be patient, Ouma-kun. You’re the one who decided to come with me anyway.”

Ouma pouted. “’Cuz you promised me ice cream.”

Amami sighed and added the book to the collection he’d gathered under his arm. “We’ll be done soon, alright?”

“When—”

“Oh, Amami-kun. What a pleasant surprise.” A tall, thin man approached him. His long, dark locks fell around his face, obscuring his expression along with the black mask over his mouth. Amami turned to him and smiled fondly.

“Shinguuji-kun! It’s been a while.”

Ouma listened as the two started to catch up. He stepped away a little, feeling out of place. He began to poke at the books lining the shelves, watching as they toppled against one another. It was only a tiny bit more interesting than the two’s conversation.

Amami tapped Ouma on the shoulder, “Ouma-kun, this is Korekiyo Shinguuji. You’ve heard me talk about him before, right?”

The shorter boy smirked. “Oh… is this the freak you were telling me about all this time?”

Amami shook his head and frowned. “I never said that.”

Ouma put his hands on his hips. “Well, yeah, no way you’d admit it now!”

Shinguuji chuckled to himself before speaking, “Such a vibrant personality… it is a pleasure to meet you, Ouma-kun.” His amber eyes looked the smaller man up and down.

A chill ran up Ouma's spine as the man's eyes roamed over his body. Pushing his discomfort aside, he beamed at Shinguuji. “Same here, Shinguuji-chan!”

“So, what brings you here? Picking up some books on anthropology?” Amami asked.

“Not this time, unfortunately.” He showed the cover of a textbook on human psychology. “I’ve been attempting to broaden my horizons since college…”

Amami scratched the back of his head as he smiled. “Woah… that’s new. But good on you, it’s important to expand your knowledge.”

“That is true…” He chuckled again.

Ouma cut in. “Aaanyway, this has been super interesting and everything, but we have an ice cream date to get to!”

“I see… well, it was wonderful catching up with you, Amami-kun.”

“Yeah, same here. I’ll text you, alright?”

Shinguuji nodded. “Of course.”

Amami waved as he followed Ouma to the library entrance. “See you later!”

Once he checked out his books, Amami drove to a small café for the ice cream he’d promised. Ouma decided on a chocolate sundae while Amami ordered an ice cream sandwich.

The short boy licked his spoon clean, watching as Amami took small bites out of his dessert. “You really should just go all out more, Amami-chan. Get a huge sundae like me once in a while.” 

“I’m trying to watch what I eat. We can’t all be naturally tiny like you, Ouma-kun.”

Ouma smirked. “Flattery won’t get you anywhere, Amami-chan.”

The green haired boy laughed as he finished his snack, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “When you’re right, you’re right.”

“Mhm! So…” Ouma put his spoon down once he was finished eating and grinned at Amami. “What was that guy’s deal?”

“Who, Shinguuji?”

“Yeah, he’s totally creepy.”

“You shouldn’t judge people based on looks, Ouma-kun…” He scolded.

"It isn’t just looks! It's his aura, voice... he even stared at me like some kind of stalker! I felt violated, Amami-chan!" Ouma’s eyes began to water.

“Alright, stop being dramatic…” The taller boy sighed and leaned back in his chair. “He’s a really smart guy. He studies anthropology… he likes to observe human behaviour.”

Ouma pointed at Amami accusingly. “Told you he was a stalker!”

He frowned wearily. “Ouma-kun…”

Ouma pursed his lips and stared out of the window. “Well, whatever. I can’t decide who your friends are, Amami-chan.” He grinned before speaking again, “Unless it’s Iruma-chan. Dump that sow.”

Amami raised an eyebrow. “Still gonna pretend you don’t like her, huh?”

“Of all the things I _do_ lie about, that isn’t one of ‘em.”

\------

Momota wasn’t sure how he ended up at an art gallery. He vaguely remembered Akamatsu begging him and Shuichi to go with her, something about improving their friendship, or becoming more cultured or… something. He trailed behind Akamatsu with his best friend, taking in the sights. Art wasn’t really much of his thing, he was more of a science guy. However, it was pretty nice seeing the serenity on Shuichi’s face as he took in some artwork of landscapes. It made tagging along worth it.

His friend stopped in front of a painting of the ocean. The moonlight reflected off of the water. “This is pretty, isn’t it, Momota-kun?” Shuichi asked, his hand on his cheek.

Momota stood next to him. “Yeah… s’alright, I guess...”

Shuichi turned to smile at him apologetically. “Sorry about this… I know you wanted to go work out today, but…” He nodded towards Akamatsu, who was way ahead of them at this point. So much for an outing with friends.

Momota gently patted his sidekick on the back. “It’s fine, really. It’s nice doin’ something different every once in a while.”

“Y-yeah…” Shuichi’s face reddened.

He stared at his friend, concerned. “You look hot, Shuichi.”

Shuichi’s eyes widened. “H-huh…?”

Was he still hungover? “Do you need some air, bro?”

“Oh! Erm… no, I’m alright. I think…”

Momota shrugged. “Alright.”

They continued to walk around the gallery, and eventually caught up with Akamatsu. She was talking with another girl. The girl was short, with white hair and dark skin. She had a bright smile on her face, and Momota detected a slight accent as she spoke. Her eyes were wide as she chatted away.

Akamatsu turned to the two men. “Oh, Saihara-kun, Momota-kun! There you are!”

Shuichi laughed nervously. “You kind of left us alone for a while…”

“Nah, you guys are just too slow! You can’t dawdle when there’s so much cool stuff here...” She paused for a moment, thinking to herself. She clicked her fingers. “Oh, right! This is Angie-san. Some of her works are on display here!”

Angie nodded, her eyes sparkling. “Yes, yes! Angie’s work is on display right over there!” She pointed excitedly to a display of paintings. They ranged between art styles and mediums, some filled with vibrant colours, others strange and abstract. Momota figured he’d be impressed if he cared about art.

Shuichi nodded. “Wow… you have an impressive range, Angie-san.”

She gave a cheery laugh as she clasped her hands together. “Thank you, thank you! But it is God who creates the art. Angie’s body is just his vessel.”

“O-oh… I see…” Shuichi smiled slightly.

“If you’re interested in art, Angie was just telling Kaede about the art class she’ll be holding!” Angie handed Shuichi a flyer that was painted with bright colours. He skimmed over it as Akamatsu softly shook his arm.

“We should totally try it out, Saihara-kun!” Akamatsu said. “Don’t you think it’d be fun?”

“Hmm… maybe…” He nodded at her.

Angie giggled. “Well, Angie has some business to take care of! May God bless you on this wonderful day!” She waved, skipping away from the trio.

Momota sighed. “Well, she was weird…”

Akamatsu puffed her cheeks out. “She’s just cheerful, and it’s adorable.”

“Whatever, Akamatsu. You just like girls too much.”

“There’s no such thing as too much, Momota-kun!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, comments are greatly appreciated!


	13. Chapter 13

Momota sighed as he drove, attempting to block out as much of Ouma’s whining as possible. Apparently, stopping for coffee wasn’t the same as stopping for ice cream. He rolled his eyes.

“Mannn… whatevs, you guys are lame anyway.” The shorter man huffed, twirling some of his hair with his fingers.

“Whatever, Ouma. You’re just jealous because we didn’t invite you out.”

Ouma gave a fake gasp, feigning offence. “Totally, Momota-chan! I love looking at boring old art exhibits with a couple of losers!”

Momota chewed on his cheek as he was berated. He didn’t understand the back and forth with this kid. At the party, it kind of seemed like they had been getting along, but…

Shuichi piped up from the backseat, quiet as ever. “I-it was interesting, though… it was nice to have a more… cultured day out…”

Ouma turned to grin at Shuichi. “Cultured? With Momota-chan?”

“Fuckin’ cut it out, or I’m dropping you back home.”

“Sure, Momo-chan! Too bad you can’t do your job without me!” He giggled.

“You prick…” Momota grumbled.

Shuichi leaned forward cautiously, his hand resting on Momota’s seat. “So… we’ll get an update on Shirokawa today…”

“Oh, yeah. I hope the kid’s alright.”

“She probably has some kind of therapy going on right now. It’s likely she’s suffering from trauma.” Ouma shrugged.

Momota pursed his lips. “Yeah… prolly… damn it, we should have done something sooner!”

Ouma cocked his head. “And how exactly, Momota-chan? We didn’t know he had her.”

“I dunno! We just… shoulda.” The taller male sighed.

Shuichi cleared his throat before speaking softly. “We shouldn’t blame ourselves… it’s okay, Momota-kun.”

“Yeah… I guess.”

“Wow, Momota-chan! You seem super down today!”

Momota furrowed his brow and slapped the steering wheel. “Nah! I’m doin’ great! See?” He turned to Ouma and beamed. Ouma raised an eyebrow but eventually shrugged, turning to look out of the window.

\------  
They pulled up to the office and jumped out of Momota’s car. Ouma watched as Saihara and Momota walked alongside one another. The taller of the two was rambling on about some sci-fi movie he’d watched last week. Saihara always had his eyes on Momota, it seemed. Always willing to listen to his bullshit. It didn’t bother Ouma, though. They could be as buddy-buddy as they wanted, it wasn’t going to help them when it came to actually figuring anything out. He felt a slight breeze and pulled his suit jacket around him tightly as they neared the office building. Hoshi was waiting to greet them when they arrived inside, a pensive look on his face.

Momota grinned down at his boss, “Hey, Hoshi! Got any update on the Shirokawa case?”

Hoshi nodded as he led the three toward his office. “Yeah, we just gotta talk about this in private. Not out in the hallway.”

Ouma giggled and gave Momota a heavy pat on the back. “Sorry, Hoshi-chan! Momota-chan doesn’t know how to be subtle, like, at all.”

Momota growled and jerked his body away from Ouma’s touch, knocking into Saihara slightly and causing him to stumble. “I do know how to be subtle! Isn’t that right, Shuichi!?”

After regaining his footing, Saihara scratched his neck and stared down at the floor as he continued to walk. “Um… maybe… but we shouldn’t be fighting right now.”

Ouma ran up to Saihara and linked their arms together, giving the taller boy a mischievous grin. “See, this is why I like Saihara-chan more! He’s so smart!” He smirked towards Momota with a glint in his eye. He heard Hoshi’s exasperated sigh. The shy boy wriggled his arm out of Ouma’s grasp, his cheeked dusted pink.

Momota huffed and followed Hoshi into his office. The three sat down in front of Hoshi’s desk while he sorted through some files. Ouma shifted his legs around. Then he tapped his lower lip. He wasn’t sure why he felt so fidgety.

“So… I have some information on Shirokawa’s situation… and today you’ll be visiting Mori to see if you can get anything else outta him.”

“Great. Let’s do it the good guy way this time!” Momota raised his fist and gave Saihara an enthusiastic nod. Saihara nodded back cautiously.

“Ohhh… Momota-chan, are you really knocking my interrogation skills? Didn’t we find Shirokawa?” Ouma raised an eyebrow at the taller man.

“Yeah, so? We could’ve done it without scarin’ the shit outta Mori!”

“You’re really sympathising with a creep like that, Momota-chan?"

“Nah, I’m saying we gotta be professional!”

“Do you even know how to _spell_ the word professional?”

“Fuck off, Ouma!”

Saihara frowned and raised his voice slightly. “Guys, can we please just—”

“Shirokawa is dead.” Hoshi sighed as he shuffled the papers on his desk.

Momota’s eyes widened. “W-what?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! I know it's been a while... honestly, these last few months have been super difficult for me. It took me so long to write this tiny chapter but I'm slowly but surely getting back into the swing of things!! I really did miss writing this story, I love it a lot. Thank you for being so patient with me, and I'm sorry if there's any typos/grammatical errors, I finished this at 6am after a sleepless night, so I'll fix it after I get some shut-eye. I'm sorry it's so short, like I said I just needed to get used to writing again!! Comments are appreciated!!


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